Legacy's end
by Galaxy fiction
Summary: The war with the Reapers is over, Tali and Shepard have moved to Rannoch to pursue a long overdue life of bliss and happiness. However when Xen's interest in the Geth is piqued to new levels, they are both called back into action to stop the threat, and the risk of a new morning war. A tale of love, loss and action, all based around the Commander and his beloved Quarian.
1. Chapter 1: Goodbye Normandy

**Author notes: Hello everyone, a new story! Hope you enjoy this Tali and Shepard love story. please take the time to review it, just so I can know if you like it, and even give me ideas! Keelah se'lai"**

**...**

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"_John! John, wake up, please! I need you! Ahh! SHEPARD!"_

...

A single thumb, clad in calloused tough white skin softly smoothed over the black reflective visor of an N7 helmet. The dented grey skin of the metal felt cold against his palms that cupped the helmet's cheeks. Soon the sensation passed as the warm pressure resumed in each hand, turning and rotating the helmet in his huge paws. Wrinkles and dry cuts stained the back of the hands. On the left hand's index finger, a white fabric bandage coiled tightly around the tip, slightly darkened in color by dirt smudges.

The huge hands that hold this helmet in place belonged to none other than Commander John Shepard, savior of the Galaxy. His elbows pressed into his thighs as he sat idle on the sofa of his Cabin, the table before him polished and empty of all trinkets. He was clad head to toe in his Alliance dress blues. Golden trims and shoulder pad outlines made the ultramarine blue sparkle. Gold and silver dabs on his left pectoral were tapered in place by ribbons of different vibrant colors, a Rainbow square on his chest. These medals were only a small token of thanks for all he had done to make the galaxy devoid of all Reapers, and bring the rays of happiness and life sparking back into the system. Shepard had ignited the sparks of hope upon the Galaxy's kindling, a huge fire of Alliances rising to destroy the monstrous machines. And even now, after all is said and done, those Alliances are still burning bright and strong.

Shepard looked upon the distorted reflection in the eyes of the N7 helmet, peering back at him. His bottom lip was scarred with scabby blood where it had split, his left eye still red and a purple bruise shading under the eye, a scar emanating above the socket on his brow. Small nicks and cuts travel down his body and hidden burns itched and scratched beneath his dress blues. Within the woven right leg of fabric was a cast up to his knee, keeping the bending bone in shape. Chakwas had cleared him for walking with the use of a cane, but physiotherapy with Miranda Lawson and herself was tedious at best. Shepard was getting better after four months of heart failings, broken bones, skin grafts, and learning to walk and write all over again. Though he was never ever in it alone, and had someone very special helping him along the way to recovery.

"Ready to go?" was the soft accented voice that gently reverberated around the quiet empty Cabin. Shepard stole himself from the helmet's stare and peered up at his loving Quarian Girlfriend, the woman who had been with him through it all. Whether it was rogue Spectres, monstrous Collectors or genocide Reapers, she was the constant in his life. She was his rock, his buoyancy devise in the sea of life.

Tali stood on the steps along the equator of the Cabin, peering down at him on the sofa. At her feet was a wheeled suitcase, her hands held together at her groin as she held onto the handle of the case. She looked phenomenal. The Zorah goddess was clad in her usual Enviro-suit of snug black fabric, textured with hexagonal patterns. The purple cloth wraps that coiled around her tight waist and wide hips trickled its way down her thighs and wrapped around the taught legs. Her lower legs and feet were snugly sealed in the silver shin armor and steel boots that melded around her six toes. The purple mask within the hood peered lopsided slightly, her silver eyes within smiling to him.

"You okay?" She asked very softly, her voice like accented silk. Shepard groaned as he set his old helmet down on the table, and growled as he pressed his right palm into the cane as he stood, his knees threatening to buckle without it, even standing up, a simple task, sent pools of lactic acid boiling at the joints. She felt a nervous twitch, ready to leap to him if he went over like before. He begged her not to help him, but she was having none of his pride.

The Dress Blue clad man paced around the table, dragging his cast right leg behind him as his cane pattered on the metal floor. His right hand gripped his thigh as he tried to keep the burning leg straight.

"Mmm, yeah I'm fine sweetheart." He grimaced before putting on a smile that threatened to split the cut on his lip again. She tilted her head and he could see the raised brow beneath the purpled haze.

"Sweetheart?" she asked with a faint chuckle.

"Have I not called you that yet?" He cocked a brow. Tali gently shook her head.

"Nuh-uh"

"Oh, well it...It's what humans say to someone they love, that they cherish" he peered over at the neatly tucked in bed, not a single crease to the crisp white sheets. "To the person who he christened those sheets with" He smirked at the memory, tangled sheets around soft firm curves. Her silky grey skin contrast to raven black hair ruffled on the pillow. A playful tut and slap to his arm awoke him from the memory, Tali shaking her head at him.

"Bosh'tet." She chuckled, rolling her eyes. Shepard smirked at her, peering up and around at the empty Cabin. The cabinet of glass was devoid of all model ships, and the blue haze that danced on the ceiling like the Aurora Borealis was no more, since the fish tank was empty and cleaned out, now a dull grey glass square in the wall. This was truly it; Time to leave, to have a life outside of the Normandy and the war.

He panned his head around the room. The closet by his bed was empty, only a few unused coat hangers clutching to the chrome rail. The armor console that once shone bright amber light around the room was deactivated and so was the Holo-clock. The bed was made as if no one had ever slept in it. It felt like they were ready to leave a hotel room after a fantastic holiday.

"Sweetheart." He heard Tali giggle under her breath. She was so cute and it made his heart flutter. After all that had happened to him: Akuze, Ashley's death on Virmire, Mordin's sacrifice and Legion's heroism, all it took was a giggle from Tali to thaw his cold heart.

"I'm your sweetheart." she repeated with a hidden smile. Shepard chuckled till the dry skin around his lips threatened to crack.

"Yeah, you are."

"Are you my sweetheart?" She asked with sincerity. Shepard smiled to her, his scarred cheeks pushing up under his tired eyes, left one still heavily bruised, the torn sclera still a bloodshot red with a hint of purple.

"If you want me to be." He smirked.

"I do." She smiled to him, walking down the steps and wrapping her slender arms around him, her sudden body warmth heating through his dress blues and even soothing his itchy skin. Tali was his cure. "I love you." She whispered as she buried her masked face into his neck. The gold trims on the right shoulder pad hidden beneath her head as she hugged him tightly, but not too much to avoid his burns and sores. Shepard cooed and wrapped his hands around the small of her back, rubbing it softly, his cane lent against the sofa. They stood like that by the bed of his Cabin, embraced for over five minutes.

"Hey..." Shepard whispered as he rubbed her back.

"Mmm?" Tali replied, happy in his arms. She had truly thought him gone after seeing him run towards the conduit beam, only for Harbinger to intervene with a carnivorous blast of energy. But days later, found under the Citadel rubble was the broken man himself, rubbing the only working limb on his body over a photo clutched to his gouged torso. His thumb massaged the burned photo of Tali. He had it all along. She awoke from her memories when Shepard continued speaking, no longer amongst rubble but back in his arms within the Cabin.

"This is oddly familiar."

"How so?" She asked, not moving from his hug, gently swaying with him. Both of them had their eyes closed as they held each other so tight and close, fitting together like a puzzle piece.

"Well, when we fought the Collectors, and you came up to...see me..." He cleared his throat and they both blushed slightly.

"Mmm?" She beckoned.

"Well we stood here, right here and held onto each other for a while. Here we are again..." Shepard gently held her upper arms and pushed her up to a standing position before him. He looked deep into her silver eyes. "...holding each other."

"But this time, there's no suicide mission clouding our minds, no Reapers to fear. We're free." She smiled, bouncing on her toes slightly. Oh how hard they had fought to get to this moment.

"Yeah, we are." Shepard panned his vision around the room. "This place has been my home for so long. Seems weird to just...leave." Shepard scoffed, feeling ridiculous. "I know it's silly." He scratched the back of his collar.

"No, not at all. This _is_ your home."

"_Was_ my home. You remember what you said when we said goodbye at the beam?" Shepard choked over the lump now expanding in his throat. He had never felt so much pain as when Tali choked out the words. _"I have a home. Come back to me."_ It killed him; it hurt him, far worse than anything Harbinger could inflict.

"All the time." She responded, taking his hands and playing with them, looping her three finger hands around his five finger hands. Her eyes darted down as she massaged his aching hands.

"Well it works both ways." Shepard smiled, Tali snapping her eyes up at his. He gently pressed his finger on her suited collar bone, indicating who he was referring to. "I have a home Tali." Shepard scoffed over the water pockets beneath his eyes. They stung something fierce, but he ignored it as he smiled at her till his face screamed for him to stop.

"We do."

"We just need beat the Reap...oh no wait, we did that didn't we?" He rhetorically smirked playfully, Tali gently shoving him and giggling.

"Come on lover boy, we best hurry if we're going to say goodbye to the others." Tali sighed, stepping back up the stairs and grasping the erected handle of the suitcase, dragging it behind her. Shepard swallowed hard over the lump in his throat, like trying to swallow a whole apple.

"Yeah. Right behind you." He whispered, eyes darting over his home. He grasped the handle of his cane and as he brushed up the steps, his left hand slid along the smooth metal of the wall, taking in the feel of the Normandy. Tali was stood in the doorway, peering back at him. She understood how hard it was for him. The Normandy was his home, he had nowhere else. But now? Now he had her, and Rannoch, a future to bestow upon each other.

He stepped over to the table where his computer used to be. His shelf no longer housed the Hamster cage and the plastic sheets thrown over the empty glass cabinets were proof enough that this was it. He ran his calloused hand over the smooth metal desk and sighed, peering down through the glass cabinet at the bed and table, his N7 helmet still in place.

"You're not going to take your helmet?" she asked him. He shook his head with a soft smile.

"It belongs here." He sighed. This was truly it. Shepard pressed off the desk, devoid of stacks of paperwork and data pads, no longer used for Reaper war intel. The area that once held his recovered dog tags was empty and Shepard patted his collar bone to feel the chain of the tags.

_Check. _He thought.

"You got everything Tal?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the room.

"Yeah. You?" she spoke softly from behind.

"Everything I'll ever need." He smiled. Tali felt a swell of pride and love hit her chest. "Let's go sweetheart." he smiled as he nodded to the room. Tali turned after taking one last look at the room before entering the elevator. Shepard stopped in the doorway, peering over his shoulder at the Captain's cabin of the SR2. His eyes watered over such a small thing as a room, but it was the memories this room housed that hit him hard.

"Thanks old girl. For everything." Shepard sniffed, nodding with a heavy emotional smile, and let his eyes leave the room, stepping into the elevator. The door to the Cabin across the landing that was bathed in red light automatically shut. The green holographic door lock buffered and sealed. Tali grabbed his hand gently and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"Let's go see the others." She spoke softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Shepard nodded as the door to the elevator shut and they began their last ever descent from the Cabin deck.

...

Garrus Vakarian massaged the broken scarred plate of his right mandible as he peered around the Main Battery for the very last time. He smiled to himself and shut down the console that he used to perform his sensitive calibrations. He flicked the switch and the lights shut off one by one in a wave of ascending darkness. The Turian sighed and grabbed his duffel bag, slinging the heavy kit over his left shoulder, left hand tightly gripping the strap. He turned and walked away as the door shut behind, sealing off the battery.

He paced down the long narrow stretch passed all of the sleeper pods that were folded away on their mechanical arms. He stopped in front of his pod and depressed the button with his right thumb. A hiss sounded and the glass door lifted up out of the way. He reached inside and retrieved his visor that seated over his left eye. The curved metal plate and blue holographic display rolled around in his palm, teetering like a seesaw. On the inside was the carved names of his squad on Omega and even Shepard's name. He'd etched that in after the Collectors claimed Shepard's life, though they never counted on the man not staying dead. Garrus scoffed and lifted it up, seating it over his left eye, feeling naked without it.

He once again massaged his aching mandible and closed the lid of the pod. As he turned to the wide expanse known as the Mess Hall, he smiled broadly at Shepard and Tali pacing hand in hand from behind the wall that hid the elevator. Garrus adjusted his shoulder and strap of the duffel bag before walking towards them.

"Just like...huh, I was going to say old times, but I remember saying something about that being the last time I'd get to say it." Garrus chuckled.

"Yeah, but we did it, didn't we. We defeated the Reapers." Shepard shook his head at how unbelievable it was to defeat the unstoppable, infinite, never aging machines.

"We did. Now we just need to live off the royalties of the vids and we're set." Garrus smiled. He looked at Tali. "Good to see you Tali."

"You too Garrus; Said goodbye to your nest?" She smirked, though it was only evident in her tone. Garrus scoffed, turning his gaze to the sealed door down the hall.

"Yeah, hard to leave that room, it was _downright _cosy." He chuckled, shrugging as well. Shepard and Tali shared a laugh with their best friend.

"Team Dextro make it again." Shepard chuckled as Tali and Garrus raised brows at him.

"Hey come on, you two are the only constant in my life, you are not only my best friend and loved one, your my family. You stuck by me when no one else would. I...I love you two." Shepard smiled warmly.

"I appreciate it Shepard I do, but I think Tali might get jealous to hear you call me your loved one. I guess if she could cope with being your best friend, we _could _run off together." Garrus shrugged. Tali shook her head and grumbled as Shepard laughed till his sides ached, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

"Tali and Garrus: The two people who stayed with me through absolutely everything, even working with a pro human organisation." Shepard recalled Cerberus.

"This is umm, getting a bit soft for me." Garrus chuckled. "As long as we don't have a group hug, I should be able to manage."

"I like seeing this side of you John, it's nice." Tali cooed. Garrus gagged.

"You two can be so...what was that word? _Lovey-Dovey._" Garrus swirled his free hand in the air to recite the wording. Shepard coiled his arm around Tali's waist and pulled her into his chest with a startled yelp. She pressed her palms against his torso and steadied her fluttering heart.

"We can be worse, isn't that right my wittle bwaby girwl? Oh oh" Shepard pouted to Tali and pressed his forehead to hers, her soft giggles sounding as she massaged the back of his neck. Garrus rolled his eyes.

"I stand corrected. We should have recorded _that _and broadcast it to the Reapers. I'm sure that would have killed them faster than the Crucible." He smirked with his plates and mandibles.

"Lighten up Vakarian." Tali snarled, pointing at him as Shepard released her. Garrus chuckled weakly at the pair, and then peered over at the med bay. Shepard and Tali followed his gaze, seeing Chakwas through the window. She was stood by her usual desk, entering a few keys into the computer and finally with a swallowed breath pressing the _shut down_ button. The old doctor batted her silver locks out of her eye-line and sighed, standing up straight and tucking her chair under her desk.

"Any idea what she's going to do now?" Garrus asked.

"Hopefully retire. Hell knows she deserves a break." Shepard responded, both keeping their eyes on her. Tali was quick to act, elbowing them both, Shepard softer than Garrus. Both of them flinched away and snapped their eyes down as Chakwas left the Med bay, wiping her eyes clean with her free hand and dragging a wheeled suitcase behind her. She walked over to the trio.

"Hello Commander." she smiled in her wonderful tone of voice.

"You don't have to call me that anymore Karin." Shepard chuckled. Chakwas scoffed and rolled a tumbling lock behind her ear.

"I told you, I never use your first name."

"And I told you that makes no sense." He chuckled to her, leaning onto his cane. It was obvious to Tali that standing was making him uncomfortable, but knew he'd refuse to appear weak and sit down. Instead she walked over to his side and gave him some support, looping a hand around his. He smiled and squeezed her hand gently.

"So, what now Doc? Where you off to?" Shepard asked.

"Back to the Alliance, help as much as I can. A lot of people still need medical aid, and I can give it." She shrugged.

"No retirement plan?" He smirked.

"Me? Retire? I think not Commander." She chuckled. Garrus took a step closer to the conversation.

"Knew you wouldn't give up just yet."

"No, not yet Garrus, and since you _both_ won't let me help with your scars, I guess the only person here I can help is Jeff. That's not enough to warrant my staying." Chakwas shook her head at both Shepard and Garrus. Tali could only agree with her, they were both very fond of their scars.

Suddenly they were brought from their thoughts and conversation by the loud voice of Liara T'soni, her soft tone somehow angry at the same time. They all peered around at the other side of the Mess hall, Liara walking out of her office as two Alliance volunteers hauled the old computer screens out of her office. She had a solemn look on her face and sighed heavily as she ticked off her datapad.

Shepard knew by her face that she was upset, the slight shimmer in her large blue eyes, the tremble of a bottom lip, the clear of her throat to disrupt the lump within it. Tali gave Shepard a slight squeeze on his hand.

"We should talk to her" Garrus sighed, setting his duffel bag down on the ground with a soft thump. Shepard lifted his cane and set it across Garrus's chest to stop his stride.

"I'll do it." Shepard winced, stepping forward with a limp as he tapped the ground with his cane. Tali released his hand and smiled warmly beneath her mask at Shepard as he went to see to his friend's discomfort.

"More proof that he didn't just use us to get the job done." Garrus spoke boldly, earning an eyebrow raise and confused glare from both Tali and Chakwas. "What I mean is, well look at him. Going out of his way to help her, help all of us, even after the war is over. He sees us as friend's not just combatants." Garrus smiled as Shepard stood before Liara, their lips moving in conversation.

"You're just realizing it now?" Tali asked.

"No, just...only now am I appreciating it." Garrus nodded.

Shepard stood before the pale blue Asari. She was beautiful, but he never saw her that way, only as a dear friend who helped him defeat Saren and the Reapers. She tapped at her datapad and huffed, turning and peering inside her office, once Miranda's.

The bed was made, white fabric pressed of all creases. The wall of many monitors was no long there, removed from their hinges. Glyph's terminal was shut down and covered with plastic drapes. Her computer laptops were shut down and folded into her suitcase.

"Ready to go?" Shepard asked over her shoulder, standing beside her as she let her eyes roam over the cabin. All of her personal belongs were devoid of the room and it no longer felt like hers. The steel shade of the room was darker without the blue hum of her V.I assistant Glyph or the many glints of rainbow light on her Shadow Broker monitors. The tinge of cleaned metal filled the air and singes the nostrils. Shepard saw the stinging tears beneath her eyes.

"It's really over isn't it? W-we did it."

"Yeah, we did." Shepard smiled to her as she scoffed a faint chuckle.

"I can't believe we actually defeated the Reapers, seems a little crazy." Liara smiled faintly.

"Yeah, only feels like yesterday that we stopped Sovereign."

"When you found me on Therum, found Tali, Garrus and Wrex on the Citadel, we've come a long way haven't we?" She smiled to him, Shepard nodding as he chewed on the scar upon his lip.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked her softly. Liara nodded as she shut the door to the empty Cabin. The green hologram lock cycling as it turned red. She sighed heavily and reached down as she grabbed the handle to her suitcase.

"Yes, I will be." She smiled warmly, wiping her eyes clean.

"This isn't the end Liara. Just...the end of all the war and fighting." He shrugged, turning and walking with her back to the group in the middle of the mess hall. She chuckled softly as they neared the group, the once solemn look in her eyes replaced with glee as she saw her friends.

"Yes, you're right. Thank you Shepard."

"No problem Liara." He growled over the pain in his leg. She winced for him and gave a reassuring smile as her shoulder nudged him towards the female Quarian that he came to love with all his heart. The vital pump in his chest beat faster and hotter every time he laid eyes on her, or lay with her. He mentally slapped himself for the devolution of his sweet thought.

"Hello Liara." Tali smiled through her opaque mask. Liara couldn't see it, but she was intellectual enough to know by her tone of voice that Tali was beaming.

"Hello Tali, how are you?" The kind Broker asked. Tali reached for Shepard's hand, claiming it and giving it a squeeze. Shepard winced slightly but smiled warmly at her.

"I'm perfect. The Reapers are dead, the Geth are helping us on Rannoch and Shepard is here with me, alive and...erm...well." she squinted and her head shrunk down into her shoulders as she studied the state of him. Even now, after four months of intensive care and hard work, he was still frail and in agony if some kind of pain killer wasn't swimming in his bloodstream.

_Keelah, why did I have to bring his condition up?_

Shepard laughed with a throat crack as he looked at the obviously blushing Quarian. "I'm fine Tali, on the mend."

"Better to feel pain huh Shepard? It means..." Garrus swirled his three fingered hand and eyed Shepard for him to finish the line.

"Means you're alive." Shepard mumbled, shaking his head at the Turian.

"Sorry? Couldn't hear that." Garrus faked his deafness, cupping a palm to the side of his head.

"It means you're alive." Shepard said more enthusiastically, smirking. Garrus, happy with the response stood up straight beside Chakwas. The old doctor shook her head at them. Liara peered around at the empty mess hall. It was just them. She sighed through pursed lips, running a white gloved palm across her tendril scalp.

"We...we did it" She chuckled dryly. Garrus nodded, hefting his duffel bag up and the strap over his shoulder.

"Yeah, we did. Still feels a bit raw though, doesn't it? Like we might wake up to find we've only just arrived at Earth, to see the sky still swarming with those monsters." He shuddered. Everyone silently, solemnly nodded.

"But...here we are. Emptying out our ship and getting ready to go home...live our lives." Garrus flexed his mandibles into a Turian smile.

"God knows how I'm gonna cope. I have no idea how to live a normal life." Shepard scoffed, shrugging. He leaned onto his cane and Tali stood beside him.

"Me neither. I've never had a home firmly planted on the ground, one that doesn't need constant attention to keep us alive. Keelah, I still can't believe it's over." Tali exclaimed. Liara smiled warmly at the pairing before her.

"You'll manage." The Asari chuckled, Tali feeling her cheeks heat up at being the center of everyone's gaze. Shepard shifted in his stance, and looked over his shoulder at the wall, two paths on either side. He turned and began slowly limping that way. Tali dragged the wheeled suitcase as did Liara and Chakwas to theirs. Garrus simply grasped the strap on his left shoulder, walking with it.

Shepard turned the corner and laid his eyes on the memorial wall. Everyone soon understood why he walked off immediately. They all gave a voiceless "oh"

He sighed, walking up to it. His bruised sclera scanned in unison with the clean white other one.

_Admiral David Anderson._ The name was cast in a rectangular block of silver metal. He exhaled a trembling sigh through pursed lips, the dry skin chipping. His left palm that held the cane passed it over to his right and then pressed against the plaque. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, running his fingers along the horizontal board, feeling each grooved letter. He reached the end of the plaque and his hand drooped to his dress blues side. Tali and the others simply stood beside him. Shepard felt his tear ducts sting and the acid like tears burn his irises.

He pat the memorial and smiled warmly as he stood up straight. His spine clicked and popped as he contorted the muscles. His left hand jerked up and he saluted the board.

"Rest easy sir, you were like a father to me. I couldn't have asked for a better role model." He sighed a shaky breath and peered to his right seeing Tali there for support, her hand massaging his back and warming his soul. Whenever times were hard and his heart felt like exploding like a volcano of emotion, she was there to stifle those flames and keep him going.

He lowered his salute and scoffed a faint smile. "Keelah se'lai" He whispered to the board, his hand flying back up to smudge away the tears under his eyes. Tali smiled warmly and proudly at his use of Quarian dialect.

He stepped back from the wall, seeing all the names that marked its face: Legion, Mordin, Thane, all good men who died to save the galaxy from the Reapers.

_His wish was for you..._

_Does this unit have a soul?_

_Had to be me...someone else might have gotten it wrong..._

_You did good son...you did...good. I'm...proud...of you..._

The voices that spoke in his mind proved too much and Shepard suddenly burst into tears, his brow scrunching, his eyes slamming shut. His lips contorted and he quivered into his palm. The group simply stood behind him, Tali being the only one to physically support him by rubbing his back. Their presence was hopefully enough of a mental support, and better for him than a barrage of people asking him if he was "All right"

"I'm so soh-soh-Sorry" Shepard managed to speak through ragged breaths as tears fell down his scarred cheeks. Hearing their Commander like this made even Garrus's eyes water, Liara and Chakwas quick to wipe theirs.

"I failed you." He mumbled, closing his red puffy eyes. Shepard felt a voice speak in the back of his mind, similar to Harbingers, but this one didn't claw its way up his cerebrum, but instead soothed it.

_No. You never failed them. You want to know why? Because you are here now, able to think like that; you won Shepard, and **that**_ _is why we are so very proud of you. _Anderson echoed inside his mind. The voice was so real, so like him, that Shepard knew it wasn't his mind trying to make itself better by lying, it was truly how Anderson was. His last words to Shepard were...

_I'm proud of you. _

It was only when he swiveled his head to the side did he see Tali's audio port glimmering. She was speaking. He quickly shook off the shell shock, like a whine from a flash bang and heard her voice.

"...We've backed you for so long, and we are so very proud of the man you have become, the man you are, and I'm certain Anderson feels exactly the same." She soothed him. It was only then did it dawn on him that what he had just heard Anderson say in his mind actually came from Tali's voice, he just chose to hear it in Anderson's tone, a cruel reminder he guessed.

"Thanks Tali. All of you." she nodded as did the others with a smile of their own. Liara's soft warming smile, Chakwas proud and motherly beaming, Garrus's bold smirk, and just by seeing Tali's silver eyes behind the mask did he know she was holding the smile that meant the most to him: Love and support.

Shepard took a sharp inhale of cool air, shaking his hands of all numbness. "Whew, that felt good to let out. Sometimes you just need to let it all out, right?" He chuckled through sniffles, rubbing his eyes, wincing at the touch of his left eye. Everyone nodded, Garrus patting his shoulder. Suddenly the silence shattered as a door cycled and soon buzzed open. Everyone peered over to the starboard.

The door to the observation lounge was open and out strolled the Virmire survivor, Kaidan Alenko. He was bold in his stride as soon as he saw the group, the corners of his lips twitching up. He raked a hand up and through his slicked up and smoothed black hair. He was also wearing his Dress Blues, though it lacked as many medals as the Commander.

"Hey Shepard." Kaidan greeted in his soft tone, almost like a whisper no matter the volume, walking to stand beside Liara as he set his duffel bag down. Shepard smiled at him, his eyes still raw from his brief meltdown.

"Spectre." The Commander smirked. Kaidan chuckled, but only briefly before seeing Shepard's eyes.

"You okay? I know it must be hell to go through all of this." Kaidan looked around at the emptying ship they called a home for so long. Shepard nodded and scoffed.

"I'm used to this being my home. It wasn't a home away from home, I had nothing else. This ship is my life." He peered at Tali. "..._Was_ my life." She softened into his arm at his voice. Kaidan chuckled gently.

"Yeah, must be hard to see it end." Kaidan spoke again. Shepard chuckled.

"Honestly? No. I mean, yeah it's sad to see the Normandy empty of all my, our stuff, but it's just a ship- an amazingly advanced one, I know Tali." He cut her off before she could inject her two cents on the amazing technology the ship harbored. "It was all of you that made it special." Shepard scoffed a laugh as he looked around at the group he stood with.

"Huh." He spoke, shaking his head with a smirk. The group was confused.

"Commander?" Chakwas asked.

"I just realized something. Besides Wrex, you were all with me in stopping Saren. And yeah even though we had some fallings out and time apart during the fight against the Collectors, you were still there, even briefly." Shepard smiled to Kaidan and Liara, who both lowered their gaze. It was the one regret they harbored. Revenge was a priority to the Broker Liara and it hurt Shepard, and Kaidan had shut him down on Horizon for 'working' with Cerberus.

"Goddess, my greatest regret was not helping you with that fight."

"Yeah, I wish I was there for that." Kaidan sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Keelah, trust me, you don't."

"It's true, the Collector mission was hardly a walk in the park." Garrus injected.

"Yeah, but still, it feels like an inside joke that Liara and I just don't get the references to, you know?" Kaidan shrugged.

"Liara, Kaidan, we put all this behind us, remember? We talked it out, buried it, and moved on. You helped me when it truly mattered: Stopping the Reapers." Shepard beamed at them, the tight skin on his face burning.

"Thanks Shepard. That...means a lot." Kaidan smiled. Liara nodded.

"Looking around at you all, you're closer than family, I mean that, I truly do." Shepard smiled to the people stood beside the memorial wall.

"Family reunion." Liara chuckled.

"Yeah, thanks guys, for everything." Shepard smiled.

"The savior of the Galaxy, is thanking us? Quick, record this for proof before he takes all the credit" Garrus smirked.

"Thank you all of you, besides Garrus." Shepard chuckled, making the Turian scoff a laugh. Chakwas smiled as she looked upon the memorial wall.

"There are still quite a few empty slots on that board. Glad to see it not full of names. Obviously we did something right." She shrugged, tugging a lock of silver behind her ear. Shepard nodded.

"Yeah, it's done. The Reapers can't hurt us anymore." He said, except for in his nightmares that kept him awake for days on end. "Well, no point in stalling. Everyone got everything?" Shepard asked the group, receiving the team having glances down at their belongings along with some mumbling.

"Yeah."

"Got it all."

"Check."

"Ready as ever."

Shepard nodded to the group, and then to the elevator behind them. The door split open and hesitantly the group stepped in one by one. The sound of suitcase plastic wheels trundling along the grated floor filled the air. Shepard stood as tall as he could despite the pain, but having his loyal friends around him in the elevator helped. He peered straight ahead at the memorial wall, taking one last stabbing gaze to sear it into his cerebrum.

_Lest we forget._

The doors slowly veered across his view and the names on the board disappeared behind the wall of metal. It gave a small pang of closure to see those names at rest on the board, and as he glanced over at Tali, he knew that after all of this; he could afford to be a little selfish, to think of _his_ happiness for a change...for her. He held his weak hand out to her and she took it almost immediately, looping her three fingers around his hand. She gave a light squeeze and Shepard smiled warmly at her. Their stomachs dropped to the pit of their bodies as the lift moved, onward and upwards.

...

Shepard and the squad stood by the airlock as the pilot's seat slowly swiveled around, the view of the dry dock in London filling the windscreen, rain pattering the Normandy's skin. Joker smiled to them as he stood up.

"Hey Commander!"

"Joker, how's EDI doing?"

"Ask her yourself, Gabby and Donnelly were able to reactivate her speech program." Joker looked up at the ceiling and as if on cue-

_Jeff is correct Shepard, I was able to shield myself from the EMP blast the Crucible emitted by locking my main data load within the black box in the AI core. The only issue was trying to get out again._

The cool voice the AI emitted filled the air, and Shepard had to smile a sigh of relief. At first he had thought that the beam the Crucible emitted would destroy all Synthetics like the Catalyst promised it would, but it turned out to be one of Harbingers lies, an attempt to play on Shepard's good heart and to stop him destroying the Reapers. He wanted to make Shepard feel guilt and be what he expected him to be: To be human. Once he declined the maddening offers the Catalyst held, the shroud of Indoctrination lifted, and he was able to make a sensible, realistic choice, to target the heart of the Reapers. Though the Crucible did shut down all Synthetics across the galaxy, it did not kill them. As the Geth bodies fell, their minds and souls transferred back to their consensuses, just as EDI went to the AI core as her body shut down, though V.I's did not fair as well.

Tali remembered seeing Joker's heartbroken face as he attempted to wake her body, with no avail. It was only Shepard's desperate plea to Tali, months after the death of the Reapers, to check the AI core for any life, did she manage to re power and reactivate it and coincidentally EDI. Shepard kissed her passionately and thanked her for that. The guilt of wiping out the Geth and her would have been too great. He'd already done enough horrors to get to this point.

Tali sent word to the Migrant fleet and The Quarians were able to unlock all the consensuses and allow the Geth freedom to return to their bodies. Thought not all the Quarians like that idea, mostly-

"Shepard? Hey, you in there?" Joker waved his hand in front of Shepard's distant gaze, bringing the Commander out of his thoughts. A few clicks of his fingers and Shepard was back in the present.

"Err yeah, sorry just thinking." He chuckled weakly. "Good to have you back EDI, god knows we missed you."

_I have missed you all too, although I haven't been able to vocalize, I have been able to watch you...when you sleep._

Everyone's eyes bolstered wide and peered up at the ceiling, except Shepard, who shook his head with a smirk.

_That was a joke._ She said, Shepard miming the words at the same time, knowing the AI too well. He pressed his palms on the cane in front of him and turned over his shoulder to see the expanse of oval hallway clad in red light, giving way to huge expanse of room, a galaxy swirling at the end by a set of steps. Traynor's terminal was covered with plastic dust sheets and all the crates and computers were removed, making the room not only seem bigger, but a damn sight emptier. Shepard allowed his eyes to scan the room, his torn and bloodshot left eye aching all the way to the back of his skull. He smiled warmly at the Normandy CIC. The door that led to the war room was jarred open and the scanning device was being dismantled by two Alliance men. An array of metal and tools by their feet as the blue door of light deactivated.

_Should have got rid of that damn thing ages ago, most of my time was spent being scanned by the bloody thing._

Shepard huffed a final intake of the metallic tinge that he came to know as the Normandy aroma. He gulped over the lump and tore his eyes from the CIC, facing his awaiting friends.

"So Joker, you staying with the Alliance? I'm sure Tali and I can persuade you to move to Rannoch." Shepard groaned as he limped forward, his cane clanking. Joker scoffed a laugh.

"What, and give up this ship? Commander, EDI _is_ the Normandy, so am I, I'd be lost without it...her." He looked at the empty ship as it was being prepared for the major retrofit after the Reaper war. "Nah, this is where I belong." The pilot smiled, tilting his cap up.

"Keep in touch Joker. That's an order." Shepard smiled as he gently hugged the brittle boned pilot, suddenly understanding how he felt to feel so delicate given his wounded state.

"Aye aye." Joker smiled as he pulled away from the hug, saluting his Commander one last time.

"Thank you for everything...Jeff."

"Yeah, you too...John." Joker warmly smiled, looking over Shepard's shoulder at the others.

"Take care of yourself Joker." Garrus nodded, Joker simply nodding back. It was all that needed to be said between them. Tali walked up and wrapped her arms around Joker's back.

"Bye Joker. Thank you for everything. Keelah se'lai." She said softly in his ear as she reeled back. Joker chuckled.

"Yeah. Kebab dalai-err-you know." He shrugged, rubbing his neck. Tali chuckled faintly, nodding as she stepped back. Liara stepped forward, smiling at him. Joker looked around at her tendril crest upon her scalp.

"They don't flop around Joker." She chuckled, shaking her head. He smirked.

"Just checking; see ya Liara." He hugged her, Liara patting his back softly. She pulled back, hands on his upper arms as she smiled at him warmly, before taking a step back. Kaidan stepped up, offering a hand.

"Who would have thought when we signed up to stop Saren, we'd end up here." He smiled as Joker accepted the hand, shaking it. Joker's eyes popped wide.

"Wait, sign up? W-we had a choice? Ah shit!" Joker chuckled sarcastically.

Kaidan laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah. Been a hell of a ride, hasn't it?" Joker nodded, releasing Kaidan's hand. The group all looked at one another.

"It sure has." Garrus chuckled. Chakwas darted forward, face to face with Joker, making him recoil slightly.

"Now you make sure to take those pain killers and pills every day, five a day remember. And-"

"Do exercises to relax the muscles and strengthen the bones. I'll drink plenty of milk too, okay?" Joker shook his head at her. She softened and sighed, propping a hand on Joker's shoulder.

"Goodbye Jeff. Best of luck."

"You too." Joker nodded as she stepped back. "We'll bump each other again I'm sure." Joker called to her. She nodded back.

"Certainly." She gulped over the emotions clogging her throat.

"EDI, take good care of him." Shepard called out, waiting for the omnipotent response.

_Of course Shepard. _

"Thanks for everything EDI. Sincerely." Shepard smiled. "Any questions before I go?"

_No. Thank you Shepard, for making me feel...alive. _

"You're welcome EDI." He whispered, stepping away into the airlock as Joker saluted them.

"Oh Commander?" Joker called, making Shepard turn as the rest walked out of the open lock. "She'll err get her body back won't she? I mean I love and everything, but...I mean...well come on, you saw that body!" Joker smirked.

_It will be functional Jeff. _EDI spat, obvious anger in her tone.

Shepard smiled at their bickering, a welling tear under his eyes. "Goodbye." He whispered, limping out of the Normandy for the last time, stepping off the airlock onto the dock. Soon after the rain turned to a light drizzle, the clouds above beginning to part, letting rays of white light shine down and glimmer off the wet hull of the Normandy.

He turned and scanned his eyesight along her long arched white hull. Scaffolding curled around the ships damaged hull, like a rib cage around a vital organ, which the Normandy certainly was. Without it, they'd have failed a long time ago.

The etched black font of NORMANDY slid effortlessly along her smooth curves. The sounds of hammers bashing and drills whirring filled the air, the occasional spray of sparks coming from either a circular saw or welder.

Shepard turned away and walked over to Tali, his cane being the only thing keeping him up. His legs felt weak, light as a feather and his blood fizzed, skin pin-pricked with the sensation of needles. He finally reached the railing and leaned against it, wrists resting upon the cold wet metal. His blue sleeves darkened as the water sunk into them. He didn't care though. He felt a hand snaking it's way around his, running a gloved thumb across his battered knuckles. He lent the cane against the railing and sighed with content as Tali rested her hooded head on his shoulder, sighing.

"This...seems familiar" she hummed, settling against him, her fingers meshing with his. He raised an eyebrow.

"It does?"

She lifted her head, tilted it to him. "The Citadel? After the party, when we had to head back into the fight?"

"Mmm, yeah. We held hands and watched the Normandy for ages, didn't we." He remembered, Tali happily setting against him again.

"We did."

"Except this time, there's no Reapers, no war, just...a future worth living, right?" He looked at her, his bruised left eye making her wince for him.

"Right." She smiled behind the mask.

* * *

**Author's note: Well, this is a story I've been planning and working on for a long time. It'll be a mix of fluff, tragedy and action, all in a plot I hope you find interesting. I haven't gone off of Search for Shepard, or Inferno of the past, but I just don't have the urge to write about them for now. I'm sure you've all experienced writers block! I will take them up again very soon, within the next week or two. **

**In the meantime, enjoy this Tali and Shepard story, and remember to review it please, it helps me greatly to know what you think, and also boosts my morale. Love you guys!**

**-Dave.**


	2. Chapter 2: Together

"_Shepard! Please wake up, we need to go, it's not-ahh!-It's not safe here! John, please!"_

...

Shepard snapped awake with a start, heavily breathing in his seat. The comforting blue fabric massaged his neck as he slowly acclimatized his vision. He was aboard a ship, chartered towards Rannoch. His heavy breathing mellowed and he held a palm over his chest to slow his rapid heart rate, quenching each breath. Once his body was back under his control, he peered around more calmly at the first class portion of the ship. Many races, mainly Volus, humans and Asari filled each of the luxury seats. The occasion cough and yawn filled the quiet cabin. Curtains were pulled across the viewports and a soft, calm blue light illuminated the night time cabin. The thin strips of blue light lengthened across the ceiling of the tube like cabin. It was no Normandy, this wasn't a private vessel, nor a warship, but it was comfortable enough.

To Shepard's surprise, no one had bothered him at all with thanks or autographs. He sighed with relief and leaned his head back into the seat, trying to make sense of his nightmare. A cold wind rushed down his spine, like Death's skeletal finger, plucking each of the bony ridges atop his spine. He turned to his side and saw the empty seat. His heart froze solid and a panic set in.

_Where's Tali?_

Before he could have a heart attack of anxiety, the Quarian in question returned, migrating down the hall from behind a blue curtain. She took her seat beside him, some people frowning at a Quarian in the first class lounge. His heart warmed and he sighed a breath of relief. He needed to calm down. She was safe, so was he. No need to panic. She sat down, fidgeting back into the seat for comfort. Her back rested into the seat and Shepard smiled at her, weary of his lack of sleep.

"Hey." He groaned, his knee throbbing along with his eye. Tali snapped her masked gaze on him.

"Hey sweetheart." She cooed, rubbing his arm. He grimaced and slammed his head back into the seat, saliva string gritted teeth grinding. She gasped and leaned forward between her seat, rummaging in her bag.

"Don't worry; I've got your pain killers." Shepard felt his head go light and woozy, but fought it, watching her rummage faster.

"Keelah, where are the Bosh'tets?" She growled, suddenly flinging her hand up with a carton in hand. "Yes, ha-ha!" She cheered. Several people gave her grim glares, others shushing her. She slumped her head down, apologizing with a whisper.

He looked at her with pain strangled eyes. His head felt like it was being compressed. Chakwas had issued him an array of pain killers before her departure. Tali tapped a pair of the blue pills into her gloved palm and then grasped a water bottle from the bag for him. He took the tablets and plucked them on his tongue. She handed him the bottle and he quickly swigged the pills down.

Over five minutes passed of pure uninterrupted agony, all Tali could do was hold his quaking hand firmly, stroking a hand across his scarred forehead, soothing him. Soon the painkillers that swam within his blood got to work, numbness clearing his head of all sinister pain. Tali moved the armrest out of the way as Shepard wrapped a free arm around her, his pain clouded mind clearing of the horrible fog. She snuggled up to him, almost sitting in his lap as she wrapped her arms around him, settling her hooded head on his chest.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. He massaged his scalp and sighed with content.

"Much better, thank you sweetheart."

"You're welcome." She cooed, snuggling closer. It wasn't long before the inviting warmth and silence of the darkened cabin made both their lids feel heavy.

"Mmm, I still don't believe this. My dreams are coming true..._have_ come true." Tali smiled within her mask. Shepard moaned with delight as he massaged her stomach with the hand he had wrapped around her.

"Me too. We're almost to Rannoch. We're going to build you a home." Shepard whispered softly.

"John, I already have a home. That's you. We're going to build _us_ a house to make a home." Tali snuggled. Shepard smiled warmly as he coiled both his arms around her, the soft hum of the ships small drive core whirring below.

"Can't wait." He smiled with closed eyes as he hugged the love of his life. He thought about how hard he'd fought for this very moment, and now he was living it. Why shouldn't he enjoy a bit of peace? Proof that he'd earned it was the fact they were still alive to live this way. At first when they found his ruined body and took him from the carcass of the Citadel, his only concern was the primeval fear of dying, trying to stay alive.

When he was in the hospital, pumped with I.V and morphine, his concerns were able to linger to the state of the galaxy. He asked of the Geth and all Synthetics, receiving the sorrow filled response of their demise. At first he was distraught, Tali having to cradle his sob wracked body throughout the night. Two months later and after his plea to Tali to check the A.I core, he received the news that EDI was in fact alive, that most A.I's had sealed their data codes inside their consensuses and cores. The Crucible destroyed the Synthetic hardware, the Reapers being unable to flee their bodies and suffering a well deserved pain, but did nothing to affect the coded makeup of the Geth or other . All they required were new platforms, which the Quarians were happy to work on.

Shepard's guilt for a Billion lives lost was able to rest and his mind could focus on repairing his own body. Now as his mind returned to the Quarian snuggling into his chest, he smiled warmly and truthfully for the first time since the end of the war, not just a crease to his lips that he slapped on to keep his friends happy. Now, he was truly happy. He leaned into the seat and closed his eyes, feeling the calm breaths of Tali as she slept. The silver dots behind the mask were gone and an adorable half snore sounded every so often. Soon his lids fell very heavy and he succumbed to sleep.

...

A soft shove to his shoulder and Shepard awoke with a gasp through his nostrils. He peered around through lazy eyes. His half lidded vision was blurry with sleep, crust in the corner of his eyes before he rubbed them awake. He looked for the assaulter in question. Tali was still snuggled into his chest fast asleep, the cosy warmth was more than inviting and he really wanted to fall asleep again with the Quarian his arms were wrapped around. Her slender hand was draped over his shoulder, the other held to his chest.

The flight attendant whispered to the dazed and tired Commander, obviously jet-lagged. "Sorry to wake you Commander, but we are about to begin our descent into Rannoch." She smiled warmly, her soft cheeks pushed up under bright blue eyes, batting a long blonde lock behind her left ear as gravity intended on pulling it down. Shepard nodded his thanks and went to fall asleep again, nuzzling into Tali's soft, warm hood. It had an intoxicating aroma, a mix between lavender and metal.

His eyes closed again and the smiling stewardess turned her attention to the Asari who had a question.

"Can I get a warm towel please?" Shepard heard the Asari asked as sleep began to reclaim his fuzzy mind.

"Of course" The stewardess whispered as she walked away. Shepard sighed with content through his nostrils as he gave Tali a barely conscious squeeze. She moaned happily and they both gave into a deep sleep.

...

Shepard and Tali awoke with a gentle thump as the ship touched down on the surface of Rannoch. It was a small settlement erected within five months of having the planet free from Geth hands. Now that piece could exist between the races, the Geth began immediate work on construction. The settlement consisted of a small town of ten apartment blocks, only five apartments high each. The Geth were already erecting more, scaffolding and metal apartment skeletons stood tall. The Landing pad that attached to a rather small terminal greeted the ship as all three of its feet thumped the ground softly.

Shepard and Tali slowly stirred in their seats, peering around with sleep filled eyes as passengers began to pick up belongs to depart.

_Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience on this long flight to the wonderful newly reclaimed world of Rannoch. Enjoy your stay. _The gravelly voice of the pilot emitted over the speakers. Tali felt a heart warming serge of emotion, pride and happiness at the word: Rannoch. They were finally here. She wanted to rub her eyes clear of sleep but couldn't thanks to the purple glass in the way. Shepard yawned beside her and stretched, smiling happily.

"We're here sweetheart." Tali announced with a squeal of happiness, bundling her hands up to her chest. Shepard chuckled at her cutely enthusiastic movements.

"Yeah, we are. Come on; let's go meet your Auntie." He groaned, pressing down on his cane as he stood from the seat, his indentation slowly fading as the seat reformed. Tali was already eagerly stood, hand luggage in front of her hips, bouncing on her toes, watching everyone leave the cabin. It was obvious she was incredibly excited.

"You can run on ahead if you want." Shepard smirked, filing out of the row and meeting her in the path between seat arrangements. "You don't have to let this old man slow you down." He chuckled.

"What? Oh Keelah, I'm sorry, I'm not entirely with it, I'm so excited I mean we've talked about this for so long and I only thought of it as a pipe dream but here we are and the Reapers are dead so no more-"

Shepard cut her off by gripping both shoulders gently, making her stuttering stop. Her wide eyes settled on his soft yet damaged ones.

"Calm down sweetheart. We've got all the time in the world now." He smiled. She nodded enthusiastically, bouncing on her toes and peering back down the empty isle towards the exit.

"You are so damn cute." He exclaimed, obvious that she was far too excited to calm down. He followed her out as she almost barreled passed the Stewardess. Shepard gave her a smirking nod, shaking his head at the Quarian's utter excitement to be on the home world for something other than the Reapers. The blonde woman simply smiled back with a laugh.

Shepard hobbled alongside Tali, taking a guilty pleasure of looking out of the corner of his eye at her tremendously incredible physic, her stunning rear and arched back, wide hips, wonderful powerful thighs, and perfect breasts. He slapped himself mentally and looked down in shame. He'd been so focused on himself getting well that he had been neglecting her. They hadn't been together since before hitting Cronos to stop Cerberus once and for all. He blushed ever so slightly and shook his head clear of the thoughts.

"Auntie Raan!" Tali exclaimed as they walked through the terminal towards the luggage collection point. Turians and Quarians were the norm at this checkpoint, their dextro biology making their romances more acceptable. A few different races had made home plans on Rannoch, but mainly Quarians. It was heart warming to see so many Quarians in one place, Shepard had never seen so many, even aboard the Migrant fleet.

He smiled as a male Quarian held out open arms as a young female Quarian leaped into his arms. The male chuckled and spun her round in his arms.

"You made it, thank the ancestors you made it." he silently wept as they held each other. Shepard smiled warmly at the returning Pilgrimages. Many who brought gifts to offer to ship captains would instead be told to offer it to a Village elder, who would then accept them into that clan. behind them was a huge wall of glass, overlooking the gorgeous view of Rannoch's orange landscape under bright amber sky.

Tikkun baked the ground and small four winged crows took to the sky from the splayed out leaves of huge trees, like oak sized palm trees. The windows reverberated and the sand blew up as a massive black shadow cast larger over the land. It was then that the rattling windows calmed and the huge hull of a Migrant fleet Envoy ship filled the sky, rumbling overhead. In the distance two more Envoy ships breached the wispy clouds, the icy fog clinging to the underbelly of the hull, leaving morphing holes in the clouded sky. The ships were converging on a large flat of sand that could house their metal hulls. The ships would serve as homes for now as the Quarians and Geth needed time for housing to be built.

Shepard peered at the conveyor belt as Tali and Raan conversed, small giggles and chuckles sounding. He walked over to the belt, going to grab their case.

"Don't worry; I've got i-argh!" Shepard cried out as his hand jerked from the handle. The sudden weight lift caused the deltoids to scream in lactic agony and a sharp snap felt in his left triceps. The left hand clutched his chest and he staggered, holding it. Tali snapped her gaze over as soon as she heard him cry out.

"Keelah, Shepard!" She squeaked, running over, Raan close by. He calmed his breathing and quenched his breath as the squeezing sensation in his tensed Triceps calmed.

"Whew, thought I'd set myself back." He rolled his left shoulder, chuckling. Tali scolded him immediately.

"You Bosh'tet, I told you not to carry anything heavy!"

"And I told you I hate being weak...being useless." He sighed, walking away towards his cane, picking it up and hobbling towards the exit of the terminal and the sky car lot. Raan stood by Tali as she lowered her head.

"Tali, he didn't mean to snarl at you."

"I know that Auntie, it's just...he's not himself. He feels weak all the time, and beats himself up over it."

"He survived the Citadel exploding, while on it. It is a miracle he is here now, child. He must realize he needs time to heal." Raan sighed. Tali chuckled weakly, rubbing her upper arm.

"He always has been impatient. Come on Auntie, we can talk on the way." Tali picked up the case and walked alongside her Auntie as they shared stories.

Shepard stood by the candy red sky car, looking out over the terminal and trees at the huge Envoy ships dropping from the atmosphere. Cupping hands of foggy cloud supported the ship's belly's as they descended. Tali opened the side of the car as she put the case in. Raan took to the drivers seat. Tali could see his distance glare, the way he was sighing and shaking his hand.

"Honey?" She spoke, catching him off guard. "You'll be alright, okay? We'll get you back to full strength, don't worry." she soothed him. He nodded.

"Sorry I snapped at you, you didn't deserve that." He sighed, rubbing his nose's bridge.

"I know that. Hey, we're here now! We can begin planning our future!" She raised her happy voice to keep it audible over the roar of the Envoy ship above. He nodded, rubbing her shoulders.

"I love you!" He chuckled, hugging her.

"Love you too." She whispered into his ear, pressing her mask to his lobe.

"Are you two going to get in?" Raan lent across the passenger seat, a hint of overprotective Auntie in her tone. Shepard released Tali, hobbling over to the rear seat. Tali sat in the passenger seat beside her Auntie as the roof lowered and snapped shut, muffling the Envoy ships roar.

"Sorry Auntie." Tali nervously chuckled, tugging on her purple hood. Raan laughed faintly, shaking her head.

"Do not apologize for being happy, either of you." She said as the car took off. Shepard leaned forward with a groan, taking Tali's hand.

"We won't." he smiled.

* * *

**Author's notes: A chapter of pure Tali and Shepard fluff. Hopefully it doesn't rot your teeth. Don't worry we'll get to the plot soon enough. Please remember to review, even if it's just a few word, anything helps ;)**

**-Dave.**


	3. Chapter 3: Daro'Xen Vas Moreh

"_Shepard, get-argh-up!"_

...

The black and dark silver clad figure stood at the window of her office aboard the now landed Moreh. The very womanly figure held her gloved hands behind her arched back. The black hood hung low over the dark bluish visor of glass. Eyes searched the welcoming party below. Geth, now free minded Geth, were welcoming Quarians back to their _own_ home world. The madness and disgust in that mere thought made Daro'Xen snarl her lip. They were supposed to be slaves, not allies, and definitely not friends. She spat a scoff as the Geth Prime clad in red armour towered over the group of Quarians below. The shadow of the landed Envoy ship cast over the meeting. She flared her eyes in anger as the Geth Prime outstretched an arm, offering the Quarians to follow the other Geth.

_This is not right; it was supposed to be the other way around! They are leading us around, when we should be ordering them! Shepard, your fowl decision to make them living has not gone unnoticed. _

Xen turned away from the sickening view and placed her palms on the desk, staring at the monitor in front of it. Xen was not stupid; she knew from day one that Shepard had kept whatever was aboard the Alerai a secret. Rael was a moron lost in his ways, just like his daughter. It was in Tali'Zorah's body language. She tensed up; she avoided the Admiral's gaze. If only Shepard had seen the scientific benefits of controlling the Geth and handed over whatever was aboard the ship. Humanity would have reaped the rewards of such technology, but instead? Instead they would watch in fear and horror as the Quarians rise up and reclaim not just their home world, but the biggest synthetic army ever created.

Now they have Rannoch back, but the synthetic army was still unclaimed. The Reaper war was a significant hurdle and one that slowed Xen's work. But she was able to make use of the Anti-Synthetic war, being free to make leaps and bounds in Synthetic crippling weaponry like the ARC pistol or the Geth flash bangs. The damned AI aboard Shepard's ship tried to oust Xen's use of polonium rounds in the pistol, saying it was illegal to use on humans, so why not on Synthetics. Xen scoffed, shaking her head at the memory of the A.I.

_Comparing organics' to synthetics, ha! They are expendable, the perfect army. They do not whine, they do not tire, and they do not hunger. Oh how fortunate it is that prohibition doesn't apply against synthetics._

A knock at the door sounded and she lifted her hooded head. "Enter." Moments later a red and gold clad male Quarian entered hands firmly behind his straight spine.

"Ma'am. The Geth are wishing to meet the Admirals in person. Admiral Koris is already on the ground, Admiral Raan is on her way now via sky car, and Admiral Gerrel is...Ma'am?"

"Hmm? Yes Reeger, what is so urgent that you saw fit to interrupt my work?" Xen snarled in her magnificently threatening tone. Reeger slumped slightly.

"The Geth, they wish to meet you in person?"

"I WILL _NOT_ BE SUMMONED BY A SYNTHETIC!" She roared. Kal'Reeger stood tall, his marine training making him physically immune to raised voices. His mind however quivered.

"The sheer nerve of _beckoning_ an Admiral to a meeting." She mumbled, turning her gaze back to the monitor in front of her.

"Shall I tell them-"

"Tell them what you please Reeger, but I will not be attending such a farce." She snarled, not even looking up from her console. Reeger nodded turning and walking out, the doors shutting firmly behind. She scoffed a dry laugh.

"The Geth want to meet us, so we just drop everything to do so? I think not. They can make an appointment if they wish to be like us, act like us." She hissed.

"The slaves, beckoning us?" She fumed to herself. She turned to her portable datapad, slipping it out of the drive of the computer. Back when Rannoch was being fought over, the Geth and Quarian ships filling the home world's skies, she launched a research and salvage team to head into the debris field that was once the Geth Dreadnought. Tali had contacted her, asking for the ships to be better used as search and rescue ships for escape pods. She argued the point, while being stood aboard the Dreadnought herself:

_Xen floated through the haggard skeletal rib cage of the blown apart Dreadnought, chunks of smashed Geth units and ship parts bobbed by her, knocking them aside as she latched to the crumpled walls. She floated in a pencil shape, darting through the twisted and darkened hall. Finally she neared the end of the windowless hall, grabbing onto a scrunched doorway, stopping her accelerated descent...or ascent, without gravity it was debilitating. _

"_Gerrel you fool, this ship is in ruins thanks to your trigger happy regime." She snarled, swinging herself feet first into the next room, pushing her feet off the wall and pressing palms along the wall to keep herself moving straight. The muffled thumps of debris bumping the walls sounded in the vacuum. The only sound was her heartbeat in her ears and heavy breathing, condensation occasionally forming on her visor. She grabbed onto a tethered beam of strangled, squashed metal. She pulled herself around the beam and took the moment to scan the darkened room. Having enough of the dark, she clicked a switch on the side of her helmet and two torch beams shone on either side of her head. The beams of dust filled light left rounded circles of flat white on the opposite walls, often distorted by the torn holes and dented exteriors. _

_Xen pushed off the beam and ascended the hall till she entered a massive long barreled stretch through the center of the now split apart ship. She soon realized it was the space that housed the titanic main gun. The huge rings of rotating metal that once housed the energy that fired along the length of the barrel were now crumpled ovals and semicircles, snapped and scrunched. The straight barrel was now bent and askew all the way down its ascending length. _

_She carefully floated her way through the zero gravity and into the chamber of the long snapped gun. It used to emit a loud pulse followed by a tsunami of racing electrical blue light, now housing a daunting pressurized, muffled silence that pressed into the inner ear, silence so quiet it had weight. _

_Xen reached up and grappled onto the arched beam. She peered down at the platform below, holding a still active console. The screen was flickering and debris was floating around it like an asteroid belt. Cables and wires were spilling from the guts of the console. She swung herself around in a roll and pressed her feet to the beam above, pressing off of it to shoot herself downwards. She rolled over in her descent and slammed down onto the platform feet first, almost bouncing off and floating away had it not been for the wires. She grabbed them and anchored herself to the podium. _

"_Now, what do we have here?" She cooed sinisterly, peering at the flickering screen. It was difficult to read as it flashed in and out of existence at a frequent pace. She bent down and looked at the wiry intestines, taking the cables and wrapping the copper innards around one another, completing the circuit the best she could. She peered back at the screen to see it holding a stable blue screen. She smirked and began to look over the data. _

"_Hmm, schematics for Heavy Mass accelerator cannons, could be useful in the future." She mumbled to herself. Suddenly her Omni tool beeped, the amber glow lighting up the dead dark ship. _

"_Yes?" She answered dryly, peering over her wrist at the screen, reading the schematics. _

"_Xen? It's Tali. Raan told me you were salvaging from the Dreadnought?" the young Quarian spoke._

"_Yes, we are." She answered; once again dry as a bone. _

"_We need you to stop salvaging and focus on rescue efforts, to rescue life pods." Tali spoke, Xen's eyes snapping wide beneath her mask._

"_Tali'Zorah, do you have any idea how important this salvage op is?" Xen snarled. _

"_More important than Quarian lives?" Tali countered. Xen hissed. By this point three other black clad Quarians had floated into the room, salvaging what they could from Geth corpses. _

"_No, this is too important." Xen shook her head, back to focusing on the Geth information._

"_Xen we need those ships to recover life pods!" Tali hissed, but came out as a whinge with her young tone. _

"_They'll be more valuable running salvage ops on the Dreadnought!" Xen snapped back, rolling out her Rs in her accented tone. _

"_We are not letting people in life pods die, just so you can rummage through Geth debris!" Tali bit back, her tone much more asserting. Xen couldn't help but smirk. _

"_You yourself said the life signs were weak, they might already be dead." She said, a sympathetic affliction sounding with her final word. _

"_It's not your call to make!" Tali snarled. Xen was growing infuriated._

"_Admiral..." she started, purring her words to highlight the fact Tali was not a proper Admiral but a stand in. "Any tech we can recover gives us an edge against the Geth...If you even care about our people." Xen finished. She heard Tali gasp slightly at the final slur. _

"_How dare you!"_

_Xen ignored her, looking back to the terminal, suddenly a bold commanding tone sounded over the comm._

"_Xen, Tali's right, we need as many Quarians to survive this as possible. You can salvage your toys later." Shepard said. _

"_Damn it! Fine, you can take the ships to search for your precious bodies, I hope it matters when they win due to our lack of Geth technology!" She roared back, her voice building spite and speed. Xen closed the communicator, her Omni tool vanishing from her wrist, darkness returning as rubble floated passed her. She was furious. So the great Commander gets his heat sink popped by the young Quarian with a tight body a few times and suddenly he's wrapped around her little finger._

_A male Quarian gripped the wall to stop himself floating away. He peered at her as his legs floated up behind him. Xen barely gave him a sideways glare. _

"_Ma'am? What will you have us do?" he asked in an accent similar to hers. Xen began typing into the console._

"_Stay put and salvage as much as possible. We'll tell Tali'Zorah we found no survivors. This is more important whether they want to hear it or not." Xen hissed, the man reluctantly nodding and pushing off the wall. _

"_You heard her, carry on!" The man called through the muffled vacuum. She slipped a disc drive into the console and began downloading the schematics, along with some heavily encrypted files that piqued her interest. _

"_What could this be?" She mumbled to herself._

"_Found anything Ma'am?" The Marine called, startling her slightly._

"_Nothing worth mentioning!" She lied, taking out the disc and slipping it in her pocket. "Nothing worth mentioning at all." She whispered to herself, pushing off the console and floating out of the gun barrel. _

Xen awoke from her memories and took the disc from her bottom drawer, running it along her fingers. Five months and she had yet to crack it.

"What _do_ you hold? I _will _crack these encryptions soon enough." She vowed, placing it back in the desk, slamming the drawer shut.

Xen stood beside her desk, looking back outside at the mass of Geth and Quarians conversing. "Oh how quick they are to forget the past." She hissed.

Xen finally had enough of this farce called peace. The Geth were rightfully the Quarian's slaves. She turned with a sharp twist to her desk, taking out the disc and inserting it into her computer. The disc slipped inside with a firm click and the screen began to run a download stream. A bar of white began to slowly creep its way horizontally across the monitor. She drummed her right hand's fingers on the desk, left hand propping her helmeted chin. Her audio port's white light shone with a heavy sigh.

_Uploading files...complete. _The monitor spoke, sparking Xen's interest. She sat up straight in her chair. Her gloved fingers cracked into each other's palm.

"What have we got?" she mumbled, narrowing her eyes at the screen. A whole block of random letters and punctuation points filled the screen.

_**/GRDSDGRTR/**_

**nJ5oPkwTekcXbNvSzPiGnBeD3PQN2f8mrJbc5LzKQSqt/**

**ynkZcuwVo7bbGz6PDYvG7QpGyt5fcUd9ottgNeosxvB/**

**uHMhoBX8VccrK4mcmG6s468kMGVUX9aR9tB29J3WJs/**

**fhEx8p67SMvKAtHmLdz8QRZq5XBGK9mPF6zaB3oR8H/**

**RZ4WfKkHfWFAbKEfF6thZ4mKpLCq3UxLBQQFrUVRjW/**

**MUKJHazaeXQvQpVk2DXZR6QvuUcMyiT7QTxDETgZ7I/**

**TMDvcyZkFDPuSvn2qwwzd5wubn5aWrcQe4NnFZUgu/**

**aydZCBktuDDLUXTQnKGXGUBrZpyNpWvz9cPRfNhGG/**

**uzbW6bpL3tiyZDp4jgkh8eNht7secauFXfX4rAeTWBbZZ/**

**tBWzyHnL3FMPoEzosT5rvjrTAkiPSDyQdZZbLMjt5ag6G/**

**PeFwUV75HbbDiETWehaX4ZXWhG7ibAshy555X92TQrF/**

**SGB7cGPAijqNzTQxymksCA4Fxy3gVQzLT7oooLzLgSS92/**

Xen slumped back in her chair, running a palm over her hooded scalp. A heavy sigh sounded and she simply stared at the gibberish.

"I've cracked some codes in my day, but this is sheer Geth data load. Fascinating none the less, but time consuming." She grumbled. "Obviously this was worth investing my efforts on the Dreadnought. Why would they encrypt it so heavily, if it wasn't important?" she questioned herself.

"I'm going to need a Geth to crack this. But while they are all living things now, that proves to be quite a challenge." She rubbed her chin, then suddenly; an idea. She snapped her fingers in realizing a thought. She minimized the window on her screen, hitting the intercom switch on her table.

"Kal, can you come in my office for a moment." She asked in her notorious accent. She leaned back from the small microphone. Not five minutes later did the Migrant Fleet Marine in question return, stepping into her Office, hands firmly at his back after a crisp salute.

"Ma'am, I was summoned?" He asked in his almost American accent. It was cool, calm and collected. She sat back in her leather seat, legs crossed and holding a screwdriver in grip, her left hand pinching the tip of the tool.

"Yes. Reeger, I've had a change of heart." She started calmly, standing up and turning to the window behind her. "These Geth, whether I like it or not, they are a part of our society now; It won't hurt to have a little "Chat" with one would it?"

"I would presume not Ma'am." Reeger nodded. She turned to face him, screwdriver spinning through her fingers.

"Mmm. Well, how about you summon me one of their units, tell them they are free to come up and chat." she said with a hidden smirk, parking her curved rear in the seat. Reeger tilted his head slightly.

"Ma'am?"

"Well, go on Reeger." She shooed him.

"Shall I bring up Kronos, the ambassador for the Geth?"

"No, no. Let him speak to the other Admirals, no send me up a single unit, a random one, one I can chat with, hopefully find out some intel on their fascinating technology. It would be nice to chat with one of their soldiers." She smiled lamely through the mask. "Have a chat about something we both are interested in."

"I'll err...go and get...a Unit then." Reeger backed towards the door, confused by her sudden change of heart. She nodded, the doors sealing between them. She sighed, leaning forward and reopening the window, looking at the encryption.

"Maybe this unit can be of use." She sighed, rubbing her glass masked brow.

Moments later, after a knock at the door, Reeger returned, gesturing for a Geth unit to walk inside.

"Ma'am, this Geth has referred to itself as Jor, and seemed very..." Reeger looked at the optical sensor on the Geth's head. "Err...happy, to speak with you." He nodded to Xen. She nodded back, still fiddling with her screwdriver.

"Thank you Reeger, you are dismissed for the day. Go and see to it that the other Admirals are well kept." She gestured to the door with her screwdriver tip. He gave another sharp salute, nodded and turned, walking away. The door shut and Xen got up from her seat, her eyes never leaving the Geth in her office. Its head flaps raised and fluttered as it studied the room. She walked around it. The unit had a pale blue color scheme, a body similar to a Geth Shock trooper.

"So, Jor, is it?"

"Yes creator Xen, Now that Geth have free will, we can decide upon our own identities. I have chosen the name Jor. I admire the ideology of the Creators. A name similar to theirs is only fitting." His optic scanned the room in sharp movements and Xen paced around it slowly.

"I see. Well, it is nice to see the Geth settling in." lying through gritted teeth, still letting her eyes roam over the Geth body, all the technology it houses. She tapped the door console, the holographic green lock turning red.

"So _Jor_, what did you want to talk about?" she asked. The Geth unit peered at her, Jor's head flap rising.

"I was summoned by you Creator Xen. I did not prepare a speech plan."

"Oh, I see. Well, how about you take a seat." She pointed her screwdriver to the chair opposite the desk. The Geth eyed it. It took several moments before the Geth sat in the seat. Its head flaps fluttered and the optic spun, checking the room in sharp twitches. Was this unit...nervous?

"Yes, that's it. Take a seat..." She walked up slowly behind the platform. It looked at her screen, seeing the coded encryption. Suddenly Jor's head flaps flayed out in shock.

"Take a load off!" She snarled, jamming the screwdriver into the back of the Geth's smoothed neck/skull. The Geth's optic fizzed and shivered, the limbs flaying out and spasming. A loud digital clicking sounded along with a techno scream shrieked. Finally it short circuited and fell lifeless. The head dropped forward, screwdriver still firmly embedded. She quickly reached under the chin of the unit, disconnecting some wires from the small black box, keeping Jor's A.I mind trapped inside, unable to retreat to the consensus. Luckily he wasn't working his mind at light speed like most Geth, another perk of them being so unique now.

She had free reign on the body, rubbing her gloved palms together. She took her tool box and grabbed the drill, walking over to the Geth body. She lifted the left head flap and positioned it back on the hinge. A panel with two screws was in view. She immediately took the drill to the Geth's head, unraveling the screws, one by one. Soft pings sounded as the screws hit the floor.

She dropped the drill on the table, turning to the firmly sealed lid. Xen reached to the back of Jor's head, unsheathing her Flathead screwdriver from its spine. She then placed the Flathead under the lid and pried it open. She flung it aside and reached in, uncapping a small square chip. She held it between her thumb and finger.

"Ah, the processing chip, this is how they decrypt and understand their own language. All that digital information had to be understood somehow." She said, walking over to her desk. Xen quickly inserted it into the computer, barely even considering what she'd just done. The file began to decrypt and a sly smirk licked across her face.

"Come on, come on." She hissed rapidly. Drumming her fingers on the wooden desk, she awaited the decryption completion. She peered up at the dead Geth in her seat opposite.

"So much valuable tech, but that'll have to wait." She sighed, shaking her head at the situation. Now that the Geth were madly considered part of organic society, by Council terms, she'd just committed murder. To Xen, she'd just made progress.

_Decryption complete._ The Computer uttered, snapping Xen's gaze back. Her heart was thumping as she looked over the intel. Her eyes widened.

"Well Keelah se'lai." She chuckled at the information, nodding to herself. She closed the computer screen, walking around the desk. The drill and other tools made their way back in their drawer. She opened her right hand draw, taking out her predator pistol. She aimed at the Geth's head, specifically where she'd just excavated the chip. She fired, a loud bang echoing and recoil jerking her wrist. She fired again, and again, the head splitting apart, scorching whatever proof there was of her actions before, and destroying the black box and Jor's mind. The exit wound was near enough to the screwdriver stab hole.

She pressed a boot on the Geth's chest and pushed it out the chair. She quickly took the disc and chip from her computer, ramming them in her pocket. She shot two holes in her desk and threw the predator on the floor between the dead Geth and her. She quickly unlocked the door and ran back to her desk, knocking over her chair and lying on the floor, faking injury.

Suddenly Reeger and two other Marines burst in, rifles raised. "Migrant fleet mari...Admiral!" He ran over, bending down beside the groaning Xen. She sat up, rubbing her masked brow.

"What happe...ah! that Geth!" She shouted, crawling away from it, back against the wall. Reeger stood up, tilting his head to the men to check the body.

"What happened, Ma'am?" he asked. She caught her ragged breath, questioning and steeling her nerves.

"It...It walked in, you left and it locked the door. Before I knew it, I had a predator pistol in my face. I wrestled for the gun and luckily got it, shooting it dead." She trembled.

"Ma'am, you're shaking."

"Of course I am! I was nearly assassinated! I knew it! I knew that the Geth still resented us for the war!" She shouted. Kal calmed her, ordering his men to take the body to the other chambers.

"We'll alert the Admirals and hope to the ancestors that Kronos can explain this." Reeger snarled. "I'm sorry Ma'am, I shouldn't have left you alone."

"It's not your fault Reeger, you weren't to know."

"No, I should know damn better. I fought these things all my life. Shall I contact Commander Shepard?" Reeger asked. She lowered his wrist before he could open his Omni tool.

"No, not yet. I don't want a panic. Talk to the other Geth and the Admirals. It may be a mistake. I'll stay here and make sure my work is still functional." She stuttered over ragged breaths, climbing to her feet and walking over to her monitor.

"I'll be just outside Ma'am, okay?"

"Thank you Reeger." She said with a hidden smile. He nodded and walked out, the door sealing behind. A smirk then replaced her smile and her fake injuries vanished. She looked back at the console, replacing the disc to transfer the decrypted Geth information.

"This will prove to be quite fascinating." She smirked, transferring the information over and removing the disc, shoving it in her pocket.

...

* * *

**Author's notes: Well Daro'Xen, what have you gone and found? Hope you are liking this so far. Next chapter includes A LOT of Tali and Shepard fluff, you have been warned!**

**-Dave**


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome to your new home Tali

"_Shepard come on, get up! The roof is coming-gah-coming down on us! John!"_

...

Shepard stood on the porch of their house, dusting his hands off. He smirked and nodded at his achievement. The splinters that riddled his calloused hands were like needles on a cactus. But he didn't care. His right leg was still aching and he had to do careful stretches in the morning and at night before bed. His skin had all but healed, only a white skinned scar on his neck remaining. Both eyes matched in color, no longer bruised of torn and his muscles were back to their usual strengthened selves.

It had been a year, a long hard year of arduous work on their house, but finally it was completed. The finishing touch was a plague on the front door made of silver steel: The Shepard's.

Though He and Tali weren't married yet, he was still more than happy to put the name on the house. He sighed at how distant he was being from her, from each other. Given his condition and the pain he was in for a whole year, along with his mental state of sleepless nights, he and Tali still had not made love to each other since before Cronos. A full year had elapsed, and he was growing frustrated. Every little thing set him into annoyance, same with Tali. They both had a lot of pent up passion, yet neither felt ready to act on it. With his knee still throbbing, he was worried for them.

Sex wasn't a do or die aspect of a romance, but it was still a necessity for them both. Their closeness was crumbling, the pent up hormones and lust had formed a concrete dam holding back those feelings. Every night they climbed into bed, Shepard would roll over and so would she, each gripping the edge of the mattress close to them. They were drifting apart, and it worried him.

He hadn't seen her in three days, and finally she had received word it was completed. As a stand in Admiral, she was busy overseeing the Quarian and Geth housing issues. Daro'Xen was very opposed to the Geth having settlements, but Kronos, the huge Geth Prime that they talked to after Legion's demise insisted the Geth have a settlement of their own, for the good of the Quarians, to let them have their own space away from the Synthetics. Pent up aggression towards the now sentient machines meant for some rivalry as many Quarians till hated them for the Morning war, and Jor's attempt on Xen's life a year ago. Tali and the other Admirals agreed to the request to Xen's disgust and Gerrel's disapproval.

This new line of work for Tali had also meant she came back to Raan's, where they had been staying while the house was built, very late at night, and the exhausted Commander was usually already asleep.

Come to think of it, Shepard and Tali hadn't even kissed in over a week, and the last one seemed like an obligated one, more than a passionate one; a simple peck on the lips before work. Shepard sighed heavily and rubbed his palms over his face. The splinters scraped against his face and he sighed, dropping the palms. His work clothes were doused in plaster and sweat.

The house was spectacular. A simple two story building, cuboid shaped, yet slightly elongated. A beige white plaster coat was smoothed over the walls to reflect the sunlight, a lick of white painted over it after the lime render had set over the scratch coat. He dropped his trowel by his bag of tools. He was very impressed with himself and hoped Tali would be too when she arrived.

He opened his Omni tool, selecting her name and opening a call.

"Hey Tali."

"Hey." she responded in a tone that didn't seem like hers, almost dryly.

"Guess who finished our house." He smirked as Tali's eyes bolstered wide behind the mask. "Wanna see it?"

"Keelah, do I! I'll be right over, hang on!" Tali scrambled up, but before the call ended, Shepard called her name.

"Tali!"

She stopped dead, peering at her Omni tool display. She could see the glint of worry in his eyes. It was similar to the distant stare he had when talking about leaving Earth when the Reapers hit.

"I love you. You know that right?" He sighed. Tali softened her gaze. She'd been so caught up in her work that she'd been neglecting him. They'd been neglecting each other.

"Of course I do. I love you too John. **You** know that, right?" she said with a questioning affliction.

"I do. See you soon?"

"Very." She smiled as the call ended, hurrying to her car. This was it. She was going to see their house for the first time ever. That little spot she framed between her fingers all those years ago was now filled with a house, overlooking the crashing lake and distant mountain fingers that grasped the silky sky.

Her Omni tool beeped as she sat in the sky car. It was Xen. She growled and immediately hit the refuse call button, the beeping ceasing. Xen had been acting very differently recently. She was barely around for meetings and always left early. Tali had also had a requisition order for many machine parts and tools filed through the system. Koris had explained that Xen told him she was starting to slowly grow friendly towards these new Geth, even though one had tried to kill her.

Shepard had also said something about Xen asking for Spectre authority on a matter, she wasn't sure she hadn't been listening. Tali had slapped herself mentally for disregarding Shepard. They were both so pent up with work and, other emotions that they had just been giving each other the bare minimum. She missed his touch on her soft sensitive skin.

_YES! OH KEELAH, YES!_

She thought back and rubbed her thighs together as the heat in her core fluctuated, getting her thoughts back under control. Her blushing calmed and she focused on flying from the now vastly expanded settlement towards the distant shore. A year was a long time to go without Loving release.

...

"Okay, no peeking, got it?" Shepard said, making Tali hold her palms over her masked eyes, gently holding her wrists and guiding her the way he wanted her to go. All the Geth that had helped immensely had left to leave the pair alone. Kronos had even stopped by to wish his good luck, which struck Shepard as odd, before remembering their individuality had inspired new thoughts and feelings.

"Keelah, I'm not!" She growled with a chuckle as Shepard made her stand in the exact same place she stood when they first landed on Rannoch before it was freed. He peered at his feet seeing the pile of stones, one of which Tali had kept.

_Well, it's a start._

The sentence Tali said when he gave her that rock made it seem like a much better idea than when he originally thought of it. _Yeah, give her a rock, she'll love that._ He thought over and over again until she smiled and said that _it was a start_, so much meaning in so few words.

"Can I open them yet?" She grew aggravated, but her voice came out as a pouted moan. He chuckled at her slumped back and shoulders.

"Little further, just follow the sultry sound of my voice." Shepard chuckled as he stood behind her, giving her shoulders a gently push to guide her to the intended spot. Tali felt a flush at his first touch of her in weeks.

"Okay..." he stepped in front of her, holding her hands in his. She struggled to keep her eyes clamped shut, but did as she was told, his touch being intoxicating. He lifted them up and spread her thumbs and fingers, making the same photo frame shape she had made years prior. He angled her hands over to the house, like iron sights on a rifle. "Hold them there and..." he stepped out of the way, taking a deep gulp. This was it; her reaction was all that was left. "Open em." He smiled warmly as the silver dots opened gently then bolstered wide open.

She looked through her fingers at the house. It was exactly where she imagined, right on the cliff overlooking the ocean below and mountains that the sun was beginning to duck behind. Her eyes watered and she wept happily at the house.

"Oh...K-Keelah..." she trembled, hand clamping over her audio port. Shepard winced.

"You don't like it, do you? Gah, I knew the white paint on the outside was way too much-" He never finished the thought as Tali's full lips firmly pressed against his. His eyes popped wide and he struggled to keep balanced as she leaned into him, arms draped around his neck, mask in hand. His gaze softened and closed, kissing her back. He rubbed the small of her back. The first kiss they'd shared in weeks.

"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. It's just there was so much to do." Tali sighed, lips parting only inches. She and he caught their breaths.

"Tali, I've been neglecting you too. I've been so focused on my recuperation and building this house, I forgot who I was doing it _for._" he mumbled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Tali; I'll never neglect you again." He smiled. She smiled back before pressing her lips to his, more softly this time. He took in her taste, the taste he'd been so deprived of. The intoxicating aroma and the feel of her black hair brushing against his cheek, it was all too much. His heart began to thump and their kissing became more aggressive, smacking sounding as they lips fought. They ran hands up and down each other's bodies.

"How...much...of the...inside...is finished?" Tali asked between kisses and breaths.

"The bedroom...has it's...own...decon...tamin...ation unit...and a...bed." He managed to say as she ran her hands along his thigh, his heart shivering. "The rest...of the interior...is yours to...design." Shepard gasped between the wet kisses.

"Good...Gah John...I can't hang on any longer." She bit her bottom lip so hard. He took her hand and led her to the house.

"Come on, we still need to break in the house." He chuckled. Tali stopped and looked at her wrist as a beeping continued. Xen was calling again?

"Important?" Shepard asked, slightly disappointed and still gasping for air. Tali looked back at her Omni tool flashing.

"No. It can wait." She took off the metal band around her wrist that housed the tool and threw it on the ground, joining Shepard as he led her into the house. He could show her around properly later; right now they only needed to know where the bedroom was.

As they giggled their way up the brand new Rannoch oak steps, taking in the scent of sawdust and plaster, the beeping Omni tool lay on the ground outside, till the call failed.

...

Xen stood in her office by her desk, receiving news that the call had failed as her Omni tool stopped beeping.

_I'm sorry I missed your call. If you need to reach me urgently, leave a message after the beep. Thank you. _

Xen growled, rubbing her thumb and finger together as she slumped back into her seat. Her brain was working in overtime as she peered around her office at the crates of mechanical parts and tools. She had convinced the marines to allow her to keep Jor's body, and try to understand why it attacked her. All she'd done is spliced the Geth apart to learn more of them, her true intent, since Jor was innocent. She continued to rub her thumb and finger together upon her right hand, almost like she was rolling a small stone around between them. She dropped her hands to the desk and peered at her glowing holographic monitor, the amber glow illuminating her darkened office aboard the Moreh. The windows had tinted black, making it deathly dark.

The small room's four walls had a paint of darkened orange from the glow that highlighted the sketches and drawings written in chalk. Many were of bipedal machines, dissected views and many brain storms written across the walls. Not even one inch was left without scribbles. She needed to know, needed to figure out a way to revert the Geth back to their former minds. From fully fledged individual intelligence to artificial intelligence...to slaves. She had drawings of dissected Geth and all their components which she could name with the click of a finger scribbled on the walls.

Some had asked that she be checked out for a Quarian form of autism, since she was so obsessed with this one thing. She bat the idea aside, and went about trying to stop the rise of these new Geth. They were designed to be slaves, they should remain that way.

She peered forward at the message on her monitor:

**ID722553/idposition100069/positiondata**

**/data/stringstringid722554/idposition100070/positiondata**

_Assistance Request from Admiral Xen Vas Moreh. _

_Admiral Xen has requested leave to perform additional experiments involving attacks on synthetic intelligences. While the experiments are purely theoretical, she also wishes access to data on Project Overlord to understand how the Geth were controlled and see to it that it never happens again. Xen has promised that this will improve defenses against possible terrorist attacks and cyber warfare, and to keep the Geth free from being controlled again. Spectre authorization could bypass Council law on AI experimentation and give Xen access to the resources she has requested. _

**/data/string**

She sighed as she looked at the message. It was sugar coated to rot the Commanders teeth of perception. Almost all of it was a lie, a way to keep her true goal under wraps. Project Overlord sparked serious interest in her eyes, and yet the Commander so easily destroyed it, a way to control the Geth. Though it was Cerberus's work, Xen was intrigued.

All she knew on the project was what Tali had spoken of: David Archer had merged his mind with a V.I, but it overwhelmed him, and the resulting hybrid essentially became a virus, which proceeded to take over the facility and used the live Geth that had been acquired for the project to kill off the Cerberus staff in Hermes, Vulcan, Prometheus, and Atlas Stations.

_Bah, of course it failed to work. Imagine what a Quarian mind could accomplish, what __**I**__ could accomplish. Such power in the palm of my hands!_

Xen let a dark chuckle escape her mouth as she stood from her desk. She hit send on the message to Shepard's inbox and made her way to exit the darkened room. The door slammed shut behind her and locked, sealing away her true intents. She paced the lengthy halls, rolling the disc drive in her pocket. What it housed was more than perfect, and a smirk filtered across her hidden features.

...

Tali screamed in pure ecstasy emanating from her core as she scrunched up balls of her flayed out hair upon the pillow. She bit down on her bottom lip, thrusting upwards in the bed towards the headboard as it creaked.

Finally an airy gasp escaped her lips and her silver eyes rolled back into her head. Shepard rolled off of her with a heaving gasp for oxygen to calm his rapidly beating heart. Tali slowly regained composure as Shepard pulled up the soft bed sheets over them.

"Kah...Kah...Kee...Keelah." She managed to say between ragged breaths. Shepard laughed and looked over at her.

"Yeah, that...has been long...overdue." He chuckled weakly, gulping. Tali rolled over and looked at him, pressing her ruffled hair into the pillow.

"Erm...yeah it has, hasn't it." She said softly. Shepard sighed as he twisted in bed to face her.

"I'm sorry Tali. I've been an awful partner to you."

"John-"

"No let me say this. I've been so obsessed with myself, with building this house, that I forgot what meant the most. That's you. I mean, that was the first time we've...heh...had skin on skin contact since before London."

Tali simply dragged her soft fingertip over his chest, tracing lines. She listened intently to him.

"But I won't do it again, I promise Tali." He cupped her cheek, rubbing his sand papery skinned thumb along her soft cheek. "Nothing comes between us now."

"Nothing." She cooed, holding the hand that caressed her cheek. Suddenly her eyes widened, mouth slightly agape.

"Keelah, did we run the decontamination cycle? Oh I don't think we did! I –I-I was blind with lust and, oh no, no, no I need to get dressed and-"

"Tali, calm down. I filtered the house and scrubbed myself clean before you got here. The only thing that's going to affect you is the sawdust in the air." He chuckled as she calmed in his arms.

"Wait, you ran the decontamination cycle before I got here?" she raised an eyebrow at him. He simply shrugged; the same shrug he always gave that came free with a cocky smirk. "You Bosh'tet! You knew we'd have sex?!" She giggled as she gently thumped her fist on his chest, Shepard chuckling the whole time.

"Well, I'd be lying if I didn't hope it would entice a certain...mood." he gave his lopsided grin at her. Tali glared at him with a smirk, shaking her head.

"We both needed it Tal, a god damn year without sex; I'm surprised that neither one of us was so wound up tight, we'd snap at anything." He chuckled lamely.

"Uh-huh." she responded dryly. "I suppose I do feel more relaxed. All this work with the damn Admirals has kept me from you, for that I'm sorry."

"Hey, no more apologies. We're getting back on track...right?" he asked with genuine concern. She smiled warmly, pressing her soft lips to his. A moan escaped both their mouths. They parted, panting for air.

"So, what's happening with Xen?" Shepard asked. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Keelah, she's being very different than normal. she got attacked by a defector Geth a year ago, and since then she's been locked away, working on something. Apparently someone was controlling that Geth. Xen's concerned for our safety."

"I can imagine." Shepard sighed.

"We live so close to the Geth now that, if anything were to happen, hundreds could die." Tali explained, sighing heavily. "Xen won't tell us what she's working on, but whatever it is, she assures us it will stop the Geth from being controlled." Tali shrugged, peering over the pillow at him. He nodded.

"You trust her?"

"I...I don't know. She doesn't like the Geth, but she's doing this to protect our people from any Geth mind controlling. I can support that, not her." Tali snarled. Shepard chuckled, looking to change the subject.

"Come on, get dressed and I'll show you around the house." He smiled, throwing the covers off them. Tali squealed in delight. Shepard threw his boxers on and rolled his shoulder blades till a few faint cracks sounded. He picked up his trousers from the floor and donned them over his legs. He no longer had the cast on his right leg, but it was still incredibly painful. It felt like a hollow twig, that too much pressure may snap it. Luckily he had the Geth volunteers to help on the house.

He turned his head and saw Tali squeezing her hips into the suit, snugly fitting her lithe form.

"We could have cuddled, you know." He smirked at how quickly she was getting back in her Enviro-suit. Tali pulled the suit over her shoulders, zipping up the back, Shepard taking in the pale grey skin of her back before it vanished behind the leathery suit.

"We can another time, but I _really_ want to see our new home." She giggled, bouncing on her toes. Shepard chuckled, standing up and pulling his dirtied T-shirt over his shoulders.

"How sick are you going to get? This place isn't exactly as sanitized and clean as the Normandy yet." Shepard said, feeling a little guilty that his desire and lust took over.

"A small fever and maybe a runny nose; I'll be fine, and you want to know why?"

"Hmm?" Shepard smirked, already knowing what she was going to say.

"...Because it was totally worth it." She smiled, going to put her helmet on and attach the oxygen tubes.

...

Now fully clothed and decent, Shepard and Tali descended the oak steps of the house. It was beautiful, and the aroma of the freshly cut wood simply made her knees tremble. This was her house, her home, with the man she loved. Life was at its apex.

The walls were bare and a light brownish pink color from the final coat of plaster that had been smoothed over. She sniffed in the scent of the plaster, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of being stood in _her_ home.

"You get to choose what color we paint the walls Tal." Shepard said, Tali's eyes reopening. The purple haze of her mask settled on his gaze.

"R-really? I get to choose?" She squeaked with delight.

"Tali, the only thing I've added are the bed from the Normandy, which Joker and Hackett insisted I take, and the decontamination unit. You saw how bare the bedroom was!" He chuckled, rubbing his neck at the pinkish unfinished walls and wooden floorboards.

"So...if I wanted...we could...have this room...purple?" Tali wasn't sure of what to think. She was in charge of everything now. Furniture, paint, appliances, her heart felt ready to burst with joy.

"If that is what you wanted sweetheart." He smiled, though secretly wary of having a purple living area. They were stood in the large empty main room, the stairs leading into the foyer, the front door sealed at the end of the small hall. Another doorway then led into the room they now stood.

"I know! How about we paint the walls a nice white, then we can put...no, that isn't fair." Tali stopped herself, feeling spoiled. Shepard peered down to catch her lowered gaze. Her hands were wringing together in that usual nervous style of hers, that adorable characteristic.

"Tell me."

"Well, I was- if it's okay with you-hoping to put up a long piece of fabric with...my clan symbols."

"So, it would look like...this?" he tugged on her hood gently to express his point. She nodded.

"I-if you don't like it that's fine, I-"

"I love it." He nodded, coiling his arms around her, looking at the wall and imaging it. Tali looked up at him, her heat all fluttery.

"Really?"

"Mmm, I think it would look really nice. Plus, I'd get to be reminded of you if you weren't here." He chuckled, pressing his forehead to her mask in a Quarian kiss.

"Well, I could give you something else to remind you of me, you know...before I left." Tali huskily replied, placing her hands on his broad chest.

"Seriously? We just did it?" He smirked. Tali scoffed a mix between a snort and a gasp.

"Not now! I mean...oh, you can be so useless sometimes." She chuckled as Shepard pulled her into a hug, his laughter reverberating up his chest.

"Come on; let me show you the rest of the house." He took her hand and guided her through the arched doorway that led to the Kitchen and dining area at the back of the house. It was so much lighter in here as the natural sunlight and array of windows overlooking the ocean below took up the majority of the back wall. Two large glass double doors led out to a small garden area that overlooked the cliff edge and ocean below.

"we'll have to fence that off so the kids don't-" Shepard stopped himself, his heart sinking in his chest.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Umm, so what do you think?" He gestured to the large rectangular kitchen, marble counters and a Breakfast island in the center with several stools. The white walls made Shepard raise an eyebrow.

"That's odd. The walls are already-"

"Shepard Commander." Came the synthetic voice of a Geth as it stepped out from behind the stove and oven. Tali gasped at the sudden Geth. The unit was red, mostly as it was covered in drips of white paint, holding a brush and roller.

"You okay?" Shepard asked the unit with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, we have been issued with the task of painting this area of the house." The Geth turned back to the wall, rolling the brush up and down as a new layer of brighter white traced it.

"Please tell me he wasn't here when we were...you know...upstairs." Tali whispered to Shepard, both having unbreakable eye contact on the Geth unit.

"I wish I could." Shepard leaned to her.

"We heard a commotion upstairs prior. Our audio sensors picked up the screams of Creator Zorah. Are you injured Creator Zorah? Can we offer assistance-"

"No!" Tali stopped the Geth dead in its verbal tracks. She massaged the brow of her mask, hand on hip as she sighed.

_Wait. We?"_

"No, I believe that Creator Zorah was experiencing ecstasy. Judging by her hormones, I can indicate that she did in fact perform a mating ritual." Another Geth walked in, slathered in white paint too. This one was a greyish metallic color.

"I do not understand." The red Geth from earlier turned to the newest unit to walk in, head flaps raised in confusion. Tali groaned and slumped her shoulders, Shepard struggling to hold back his laughter.

"I am not having the birds and the bees talk with a Geth." Shepard mumbled to himself.

"Shepard Commander, I have a query." The smallest Geth unit said, the red one slathered in white paint. The greyish Geth simply turned to the wall and carried on painting, carefully inching the brush around each wooden frame with machine like precision.

"What's the question?" Shepard asked.

"We found an Omni tool discarded outside this structure. Does it belong to you?"

"No, that's Tali's." Shepard gestured towards her. She nodded as the Geth placed the metal band in her palm.

"Thank you." She said with a hidden smile.

"You are welcome Creator Zorah. I will return to the task at hand." The red Geth then joined the metallic grey one in painting the Kitchen.

"Huh. Shepard, I've got a message from Admiral Xen, but it's addressed to you. Why did she send it to me?"

"My one's been off for weeks." He shrugged.

"Why?" She asked with a raised eyebrow beneath the purple glass.

"Sick of all the messages, It pings every five seconds." He groaned, shrugging again. Tali could understand that. She turned to the message and opened it, reading it gently. Shepard knew her well enough, her mannerisms, to know when something is wrong. Her shoulders tensed, her head leaned forward slightly, obviously narrowed eyes.

"Tal?"

"She's um...Xen...Have a look for yourself." Tali swung her arm around for him to read her tool.

**ID722553/idposition100069/positiondata**

**/data/stringstringid722554/idposition100070/positiondata**

_Assistance Request from Admiral Xen Vas Moreh. _

_Admiral Xen has requested leave to perform additional experiments involving attacks on synthetic intelligences. While the experiments are purely theoretical, she also wishes access to data on Project Overlord to understand how the Geth were controlled and see to it that it never happens again. Xen has promised that this will improve defenses against possible terrorist attacks and cyber warfare, and to keep the Geth free from being controlled again. Spectre authorization could bypass Council law on AI experimentation and give Xen access to the resources she has requested. _

**/data/string**

Shepard simply frowned, his brow scrunched upon finished the read. He honestly didn't see what was wrong; in fact he was quite please.

"Tali, this...this is good, right?" He looked at her, waiting for a response.

"Well, I guess. But...she's always had such strong views on the Geth. I know she's been working on trying to stop them being controlled but...why would she suddenly change her views so radically?" Tali asked him, gazing into his azure eyes. His brow scrunched again in thought.

"I don't know. Maybe she's matured, or made a breakthrough...I don't know." He shrugged, rubbing his face with both hands. Tali could understand his torn views. Shepard knows Xen, so does Tali, and her diabolical views that she once so happily voice, hell, during Tali's disgusting trial she even openly said she wasn't there for Tali; calling it a "Farce born of fear" She had no real interest in the trial, knowing that its subtle purpose was to stir the Migrant Fleet to reclaim their home world.

She openly referred to Zaal'Koris as a coward, a man who sympathizes with the Geth, and Han'Gerrel as "an aging warship" Xen saw Gerrel's actions against the Geth during the war as foolish and self-destructive, but had no qualms about her experimentation on live Geth. How could her views change so radically and quickly as to help and protect them?

"We should meet with her before you decide. She's always been so obsessed with controlling the Geth, making them slaves again. She used to perform surgery on her childhood toys for Keelah sake!" Tali growled, closing the glowing amber tool on her wrist. Shepard nodded with a nostril sigh.

"You're right. What time is it?" Shepard asked her.

"Mmm, it is...5:34pm." She said calmly. Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Is that it? I've been working on the house since dawn, it felt like days ago, but it's only five?" he showed the tiredness in his weary eyes. It was obvious that he wasn't sleeping well, and with the Admirals taking up all her time, Tali had failed to notice. She felt a pang of guilt stab her heart.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't think about how tiring these long days must be to you." She sighed, gently caressing his cheek. He moaned happily and savored her gloved touch. He peered over at the two Geth.

"You're both done for the day." he said with that same Commanding tone she grew to love. The two Geth raised head flaps and their optics flared brighter.

"Shepard Commander, we do not tire, you have no need to send us-"

"We _do_ tire, go on, you can come back and help tomorrow." He said with a smile to the two units. They both peered at each other and then nodded; putting the brushes down on the dust sheets and closing the paint can, walking out of the back door. Shepard immediately walked over and locked the door, sighing with relief.

"The Geth are great and helpful, but damn, they work so hard it annoys me sometimes." He groaned with a faint chuckle. Tali smiled through her mask at the tired man.

"Did you want to get some sleep?" Tali asked softly. He nodded, yawning. She smiled and took his hand, walking through their house. Her mind was still going back to Xen. She would have thought that being attacked by a Geth would make her want to wipe them all out, but instead she said something about it being under someone's control and seeing to it that it never happens again. Now she was requesting information on project Overlord. The question that was plaguing Tali's mind was "Should they give her that information?"

* * *

**Author's notes: so Xen's interested in Project Overlord? Is she doing it to help the Geth, or for her own God Complex needs? find out in the next update ;)**

**-Dave**


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmares

_"They're coming! Come on get up!"_

_..._

Shepard and Tali had locked up the yet to be furnished home and returned to Auntie Raan's. The sun was beginning to ebb beneath the bony fingers of the mountain range. The deep blue of the dying light sky began to twinkle with soft stars. The brightest of them was the south star and a huge lunar moon rising to the far edge of the abyss. The car ride was comfortable and silent as Shepard was dozing in the passenger's seat. Tali observed him. He looked absolutely exhausted, rings of dark under his closed eyes and new sets of wrinkles were evident. He would occasionally jerk awake, peering around the car as if lost before Tali's soothing "Shhh" sent him back to sleep.

By now it was 8:45pm, and the long night was setting in. The thirty three hour long days were causing Shepard a lot of discomfort. He needed to take regular naps to get used to the day lengths, but his constant nightmares kept him up. The pain Tali felt for him was incredibly heavy. Every half an hour he'd gasp awake, clutching for anything to grab onto, often calling out in ragged breaths the name "Tali!" she'd quickly grasp his flailing hand and rub her thumb over his knuckle, calming the war torn soldier. It was going to be a long road to recovery, but she'd get him there.

Back at Raan's apartment, while Shepard was sound asleep in the guest room bed, catching up on some well earned rest, Tali was up, sat in the small Quarian sized living room next door. Raan's apartment was small, a living room with enough space for a sofa, a small two by one Kitchen and her own bedroom next to the guest room. It was small yet cosy, keeping to the Quarian theme of only using as much space as necessary. The warm glow of the light above them cast shadows in different lengths around the room. Raan entered the area from the kitchen, having two mugs in her hands. Both her and Tali had their masks off as Raan's decontamination unit had filtered.

"Thank you Auntie." Tali smiled accepting the mug.

"I haven't seen that beautiful face since before you got your first suit at age thirteen. You have grown into a beautiful woman Tali." Raan smiled. She was similar to Tali facially, soft wrinkled grey skin with black markings moving up from the brows to the hairline. Her silver hair was tucked in behind her hood while Tali's hood was down. Laughter lines and stress creases adorned Raan's face.

"Thank you." Tali giggled, twirling her hair around her finger. Raan smiled at her niece. She was definitely a gorgeous young girl. The Commander was a lucky man, and he had better realize it. If he fails to treat her well, he'll have to face the full wrath of Shala'Raan Vas Tonbay.

"So, how's the house looking? I cannot wait to see it, child." Raan smiled, sipping her tea, a pool of steam floating upwards. Tali smiled warmly as she remembered the home, and blushed at what they did in the house first. Raan was no fool, and saw her cheeks redden.

"Tali?"

"Oh N-nothing! Erm yes, yes the house if wonderful, more than I could have ever asked for!" She said, pulling her mug up to sip and hide her redden features. Raan rolled her silver eyes, happy for the child.

"But..." Tali sighed, lowering her silver gaze. Raan knew by her tone that Tali's mind was being plagued by something.

"What is it my dear?"

"It's John. He's not sleeping well." Tali sighed heavily, looking down at the swirling tea in her mug, milk swirling like the galaxy they fought to save.

"Well, he has seen some horrors. I can't imagine what-"

"Tali!" She heard a loud gasp from the other room, ragged breathing so loud it was audible in the next room. Tali closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, feeling so horrible for him. His constant cries for her and his terrified, labored breathing. She quickly set the mug on the table before them and got up, going to his room. Raan sat silently and listened intently.

"Tali, It's Ha-Har-Harbinger! H-He's c-c-coming!" Shepard wheezed and chattered as Tali's constant softening "Shh" sounded.

"No he's not, he's gone, and he's never going to hurt you again, okay? Now go back to sleep sweetie." Tali's soft harmonic voice hummed in the other room.

Soon Shepard's voice and labored breathing faded to silence. Raan, against her better judgement, decided to check on them. She got up, walking over to the darkened door frame. Inside the dark room, curtains pulled across the window, a lone figure sat on the side of the guest bed. In the bed lying with sheets over his broad shoulders was the Commander himself. He was turned on his side, fast sleep and silent, only the rise and falls of his chest moving. Tali was sat on the lip of the mattress. Her right hand was subconsciously stroking Shepard's cheek, her eyes distant and miles away in thought.

"Tali?" Raan whispered gently, Tali peering up, the light from the living area glimmering off her wet eyes. "Oh child." Raan sighed, walking in and crouching down in front of her niece. Tali let a faint trembled breath escape her pursed lips as she leaned forward.

"I don't know what to do Shala. He can't sleep half an hour without waking up in a cold sweat!" Tali hissed at herself. Raan rubbed Tali's knee, nodding.

"Honestly Tali, I think he just needs you close." Raan said so quickly and so boldly, as if Tali should already know it. She peered up at her Auntie's gaze.

"Wha-what?" Tali sniffled, Shepard moaning in his sleep as he rolled over. Tali immediately snapped her gaze on him, making sure he was alright.

"The way I see it Tali, is that you have been so busy with us Admirals, and he with his recuperation and building, that you've had a lot of time apart, correct?" Raan spoke in her bold accented voice. Tali reluctantly nodded, feeling guilty.

"We've...not really been that close to each other this last year." She sighed, rubbing her soft face with both gloved palms.

"And he always wakes shouting for you, does he not?" Raan said. Tali nodded.

"He needs you close. Tali, I am no psychiatrist, but it is obvious that he is scared of losing _you_. Having the nightmares of the Reapers, it is possible- and this is only speculation child-but it is possible that he is scared that the Reapers in his dream have taken you from him." Raan sighed, caressing Tali's knee caringly. Tali raised an eyebrow.

"You got all that from his nightmares?" Tali weakly chuckled, trying desperately to lighten the room. Raan gave her niece a serious gaze. Tali mumbled and dropped her tearful eyes.

"Tali, dear. He wakes up from the nightmares of war, to find the person he loves the most isn't there. Can you see?" Raan spoke sweetly. Tali sighed, dropping her shoulders.

"Keelah, I feel awful." She stammered, dropping her face in her palms. Raan got up, gently sitting on the mattress as to not wake Shepard.

"Oh, come here, child." Raan softly spoke, pulling Tali into a hug. Tali tried to control the hot tears that burned her silver eyes.

"H-he's been all on his own!" she struggled to emit into Raan's shoulder. Shala gently soothed her niece by rubbing her shoulder.

"You're here now, that's what matters. We Admiral's should be the guilty ones, pulling you away from him for meetings and arguments." She sighed. Tali sniffled as she looked up.

"I-I...I don't know what to do Auntie. I care about him so-so much, but...I have to help my people. My guilt is torn."

"Child, you have done so much for our people. You helped reclaim the home world, you helped defeat the Reapers, to untie peace with the Geth. You have _nothing_ to feel guilty about." Raan spoke boldly yet quietly as Shepard shifted behind them. Tali sighed, her eyes darting in thought.

"I...I don't know."

"Get some sleep, you can think it through more clearly in the morning. But whatever you choose, I support you my dear." Raan said, kissing Tali's forehead and getting up, walking out into the living area.

She stopped at the door peering back as Tali lay down, her back to Shepard, draping his arm over her stomach and holding his hand in hers. He snuggled himself into her, a spooning position as he slept, a warm subconscious smile on his sleeping face. Tali's eyes began to close as Raan pulled the door up, yawning and taking both the cold mugs to the kitchen sink.

...

Shepard awoke to a soft rubbing on his right hand's knuckles. His nose tickled against soft fabric, his eyes glimmering open to the purple blur in front of his unfocused eyes. He blinked a few times and focused on the swirls upon the back of the hood. He smiled warmly and pulled her closer into him.

"Hey." He mumbled.

"Oh...Hey." She stuttered, her eyes still wide open and focused on thought. Tali was torn, on one hand she had the Admiralty board to consider, the security of her people, a future for her whole race. On the other was Shepard. She'd never leave him, but could she give up the Admiral position to be by his side as much as he needed? She mentally stabbed at herself for the thought, but it kept rising: Was one person worth a whole race?

He used his chin to pull her hood back slightly and kissed the side of her cheek. She moaned in delight and smiled softly at his kisses.

"Shepard, stop!" she giggled as he kissed down her neck till he reached the suit, "Raan's next door!" she whispered to him, stifling her laughter.

"Okay, okay." He smiled, giving her one more press of his lips to her cheek.

"How'd you umm...sleep?" Tali gulped.

"Mmm, much better knowing you're here." He sighed with relief, hugging her tightly. She closed her eyes and bit her lip away from his gaze.

"G-good. That's good." She nodded. "So umm, Raan says that we need to meet with Kronos and the Admirals today." She stroked his hand that rested on her stomach.

"Yeah? we can talk with Xen, see if what she's doing is worth handing over info on Overlord." He mumbled into her hood. She nodded and rolled over in his arm, eyes mere inches apart.

"Shepard, there was something I forgot to tell you yesterday. I umm...got distracted." She spoke, Shepard gulping at her mannerisms.

"You can tell me."

"They offered me an official position as an Admiral." She looked at him for a reaction. His eyes were wide slightly; his lips dry and a gulping motion in the throat caught her eye.

"Tha-thats great Tali." He said with a hidden tremble. "Congrats." He nodded.

"Thank you. I'll...umm...I'll tell them I've accepted it at the meeting." She nodded with a half hearted smile. Shepard rolled over and got up, grabbing his trousers off the floor, pulling them on. Tali looked at his back, the scars that adorned the mass of muscle and skin. She sighed to herself and sat up, swinging her feet over the side of the bed. Tali got up and left the room, head held low.

Shepard dropped his face into his palms, rubbing his eyes. While he was happy for Tali, he knew what this meant. He'd never get to see her; she'd be exhausted all the time. She'd end up a shell of the young vibrant happy, exuberant girl he loved unconditionally. He was feeling a little selfish, and for that he kicked himself mentally, grabbing his shirt and getting up, boots pinched together in the other hand.

He walked out and both Tali and Raan were putting their helmets on. He smiled to them both and sat on the couch, tying his boots up.

"Good morning Commander." Shala smiled.

"Morning Auntie." He dared, waiting for her reaction. She simply smiled to him. "Did Tali tell you about her offer?" he said, not looking up from his boots. Tali snapped her eyes on Raan's.

"No..." She dryly said.

"I umm...I got an offer from Gerrel and Koris. To be a fully fledged Admiral." She sighed. Raan eyed her closely. "I'll tell them I accept when I see them at the meeting."

"I see." Raan said flatly, reaching down and grabbing the mask. Apparently their conversation last night fell on deaf ears. Tali's obsession with helping her people was going to be a problem for her own well-being and happiness.

"Well, we should go if we're going to get to this gathering in time." Raan spoke, not looking at Tali. The young girl was wringing her hands furiously after setting her mask on, hiding her sorrowful gaze. Shepard nodded, getting up and grabbing his N7 leather jacket from Raan's coat rack.

"We get breakfast afterwards though right?" He smiled to the elder. Raan chuckled as she set her mask on.

"Of course Shepard." He nodded to her and left first. As Tali went to follow Raan caught her arm. "You failed to mention the offer last night."

"I...I forgot."

"Oh _Buq-mekka."_ She swore in Keelish, Tali's eye widening, cheeks reddening.

"Auntie." She whined at the language.

"Well, if you've already made your decision, I cannot stop you. _Welcome to the Admiralty board_." She shook her head walking to the car. Tali stood still for a moment, sighing heavily from the scolding. She _had_ to help her people; she'd already been selfish enough, having her own house and a large one at that.

Tali followed suit, locking the apartment behind.

...

The car ride was silent, deathly silent, each occupant having different things on mind, but all around the same subject. Raan was angry that Tali had made such a decision despite everything she'd told her. Shepard was secretly upset that Tali was going to accept the position, meaning he'd barely see her. Tali? Tali was torn to pieces. She _had_ to care for her people but _wanted_ to care for Shepard. It was a war between obligation and love.

The car touched down outside of the Neema, which was one upon many in the row of landed Envoy ships upon the desert floor. It was to become a ship breaking yard, but for now, until housing was fully developed to replace the ships, these were still homes.

After a long ardent walk through the ships cramped halls, they finally came upon the rounded war room. The voices within grew with volume.

"I don't care if the Geth didn't launch the attack on an Admiral as a whole, _a _Geth still did! This_ is_ a problem!" came the powerful tone of Han'Gerrel.

"The Geth would not initiate an attack on a Creator." Sounded the digital baritone voice they came to know as Kronos. Even now they remember what that Prime said to Raan after Legion's death.

_You are welcome to return to Rannoch, with us._

"Oh I'm sorry; I can't hear you over the sound of the Morning war! History will repeat!" Gerrel roared. Raan entered the rounded war room, the circular table in the center illuminating the room with calm blue light as the hologram of Rannoch spun slowly, though that calming light did nothing the ease the tension. Koris was stood in the corner, head down and shaking it, arms crossed. Xen was stood beside Gerrel, weight on her right leg and arms folded under her chest.

"It was a year ago, let's just move on and understand that anything with free will, _will_ have thoughts and views of its own!" Koris countered, his black Enviro-suit and mask making quite a dark presence, even though he was the Geth supporter out of all of them. Xen rolled her silver eyes behind the mask of foggy glass.

"You're defending this? Zaal, a Geth attacked an Admiral! We cannot forget and move on! What if more of these Geth feel this way, what if they are going to hurt hundreds of innocents!"

"And Creator Xen? Is _she_ innocent?!" Kronos blared his tone. "We have been the study of her violent experiments, the Geth were manipulated and executed by her. If we can understand and welcome the Creators back to Rannoch, can you to us?" They all looked shocked at the Prime's prowess and intellectual response.

"Admirals! Calm yourselves!" Raan spoke boldly as she entered the rounded room, Tali and Shepard beside.

"Ah Commander, I take it you got my message?" Xen immediately spoke, walking to him.

"Hang on Xen" He threw his hands up to stop her. "We'll discuss it later, once we've figured out whatever the problem here is." Shepard spoke, his old commanding tone in play. Tali smiled beside him.

"The problem Shepard is that the Geth attacked Xen a year ago, and we still have no answers! They aren't being very forthcoming!" Gerrel snarled towards Kronos, the towering Prime's three red optics flared at him.

"Kronos, is it possible for a Geth to act on its own, to do such a thing?" Shepard asked, cutting off Gerrel's interruption with a swift hand raise.

"Yes. With our free individual minds, a singular unit can act in such a way, this we are not denying, what we are denying is Creator Gerrel's objection that the Geth be exiled." Kronos glared back at the Admiral in question.

"_Vwhat_ the hell is this Gerrel?" Raan roared in her accent, even Shepard's throat tightened. This was Tali's Auntie, so he better behave.

"It's simple, the Geth do not need the land like we do, hell they mine their needs from asteroids, they never touched Rannoch!"

"No, we cleaned the remnants of the Morning war, ready for Creator return, a mistake I now regret." Kronos snapped.

"No, don't regret it Kronos. Look, Gerrel, this is their home as much as it is yours." Shepard countered. Gerrel's head snapped up towards Shepard.

"Shepard!"

"No! The Geth have fought incredibly hard to make sure you get to live here, hell they all died for a short time!"

"Guess that's one thing you have in common." Gerrel hissed.

"Gerrel, the Geth are setting up housing for you, uploading into suits, making your immune systems stronger, and ask nothing in return! The least you can do is let them stay." Shepard listed off reasons on each finger. Gerrel sighed, dropping his head.

"It's decided Gerrel, the Geth are going nowhere. But, the issue remains. Why did one attack Xen?" Koris injected.

"I'd like to know that too." Raan spoke, everyone looking too Kronos. The Geth Prime clicked and whirred a few times, his head flaps lowered.

"Creator Xen felt strongly towards controlling our race. It is possible that a unit took upon itself self preservation, and tried to stop her."

"Stop me? I've been trying to work on making the _Geth uncontrollable_. It is also a possibility that the Geth in question _was_ being controlled." Xen nodded to the group. "Which brings me to my request: Shepard, if I can have access to the data on Project Overlord, I can understand how they were controlled, and make sure it does _not_ happen again." She swung her hand dismissively. Shepard nodded, caressing his chin.

"Xen, you're ideas in the past have been so fixed on controlling them and making them slaves, how can we trust what you'll do with it?" Shepard asked, Tali nodding. All eyes were on Xen, and she could feel Kronos's optics searing into her head.

"Times have changed. The Geth helped reclaim our home world...they...they helped stopped the Reapers. I was...wrong in my ideology. Now we have our home world, we're at peace with the Geth; I have no need to do such experiments. I can instead give my technical skills to trying to fix this mess." She spoke so boldly it almost didn't seem like her. Shepard nodded.

"How can you change your ideas so quickly?" Tali spoke. Xen shrugged. "Different circumstances, as I recall Tali, did you not change your views of the Geth radically after meeting the Commander's Geth?" She spoke to the youngest member. Tali lowered her head.

"Yes." She mumbled.

"Xen, I'll give you the data, but I want regular updates." Shepard warned, opening his Omni tool and sending a file over to Xen's. She immediately opened hers, examining the file with the interest of a child with a new toy.

"Excellent. Thank you Commander. I will begin work immediately. Kronos, whoever has been controlling these units or whatever is making them violent, it won't last for much longer. I promise." Xen said calmly, walking past Tali and on her way out. "It won't last long at all." She smirked at the new data.

Shepard turned back to the room. Kronos looked to Koris and Gerrel as they neared Tali.

"Now, Tali, have you made a decision on the Admiralty position?" Gerrel spoke.

"It would be good to have the daughter of Rael'zorah on the board." Koris nodded. It was then that Tali grew enraged. That was all she'd ever be, a shadow of her father, a Zorah to fill the spot.

I have made a decision thank you Zaal." She stepped forward boldly. Shepard sighed, and stepped to the side. "_I decline_." She said venomously. She enjoyed watching Gerrel and Koris's eyes expand.

"What!?" the whole room erupted, Kronos simply raising an optic ridge. Tali nodded.

"I'll help my people, but not from an Admiral's chair that doesn't really belong to me." She said, turning and heading towards the door. Shepard had wide eyes on her and Raan just the same.

"Let's go. I have a home to decorate." She smiled. Shepard shook his head and nodded.

"Admirals. Let us know how the Geth problem goes." Shepard said with a smile as he and Tali left. Gerrel and Koris simply nodded, both still shocked. Raan chuckled to herself, proud of her niece.

"Good for you my dear."

"I have studied Earth languages and have found a term best suited to your situation Admirals." Kronos spoke, heading toward the door. "Took the wind right out of your sails" He said in his digital tone, ducking under the high door frame on his way out.

Shepard walked with Tali, eyes fixed on her. She raised her half lidded eyes behind the mask at him.

"What made you change your mind?"

"You and Auntie Raan were right. I-we've earned the right to be a little selfish. Besides, I can still help my people from the sidelines. Right now, my priority is you." She smiled. Shepard pulled her into a walking hug, his arm over her shoulder.

"So, was it worth it?"

"Totally."

* * *

**Author's notes: Hope you like it! Yeah, go Tali! And Kronos is the name I gave to the red Geth Prime you meet after Legion dies, or if he's at London instead of _Quarians._ (shivers at the thought) Well, hope you like it and please remember to review. I would love to hear if you guys are liking this so far. Feedback is crucial! Love you guys!**

**Keelah Se'lai, and see you in the next chapter!**

**-Dave**


	6. Chapter 6: A situation

_"No! Get out of here! Go!"_

...

Xen was smirking heavily as she stared through her mask at the Omni tool present on her wrist. Shepard had given her the data on Project Overlord, with the snap of a finger, which surprised her no end. He had ordered her to send him regular updates, which she could easily lie through her teeth to create. It seemed in his age and retirement, the Commander was going soft, something Xen could exploit.

The data held files on subjects such as the VI program's malfunction and how it tried to escape Aite via the satellite dish. Xen's interest peaked to new levels as she read how powerful the VI hybrid was. If unleashed through the radar dish and expelled into space, it would have affected potentially every electronic device in the galaxy accessible by the Extranet. It could be subsumed and used by the VI against an unsuspecting populace. It wasn't just a way to control the Geth, it could have controlled _everything._ Xen's heart fluttered at such power.

She narrowed her eyes as she scanned through the Cerberus documents, settling her incredulous gaze upon the information that the VI itself was designed by Cerberus to exploit the religious tendencies of the Geth. According to the file, this was inspired by Cerberus' observations of Saren Arterius, the rogue Spectre Shepard and Tali'Zorah fought, as a leader of the Geth in the events leading up to the Battle of the Citadel.

_Hah, try the Reapers. Oh, how blind we were to the truth back then._

The researchers hoped that the hybrid VI, essentially a _"computer program with a face",_ could become a similar kind of figurehead and thus give Cerberus complete control over all Geth.

_So, it was to become a Didact to the Geth, a god they would be force to worship. Oh, this was more than I could have ever dreamed, to become a God for these slaves to worship? A figurehead..._

Xen's mind continued to war with itself over all the ideas that flooded her brain; the possibility that she could not only make the Geth back into the Quarian's slaves, but that they would worship _her. _Xen's God complex expanded double fold.

"So, Cerberus _was_ onto something. The rumors I heard were nothing close to the truth." She mumbled to herself as she continued mindlessly pacing in her office, scrolling down the amber glowing page. More and more chalk sketches were adorning her walls, and at this point, no one was allowed into her office. She'd either speak with them elsewhere, or not at all, sketches of Geth skulls, exploded views to show each individual part and its abilities.

She finally reached the bottom of Shepard's mission report on Project Overlord, seeing the part that made her teeth clench. It simply read:

_After deactivating the rogue VI, my decision about who should handle the care of David Archer fell to Grissom Academy and its leading professional Kahlee Sanders. He is in capable hands, far away and safe from Gavin Archer and Cerberus._

"So, he decided to deactivate the project, meaning all I have to work with, is _this_ file. Starting from scratch it seems." Xen snarled, shaking her head. "This also means he'll be very concerned with my work, as always. Hmm...Shepard and Tali'Zorah could prove to be an issue." She growled. Suddenly, a knock at the door startled her, her silver dastardly eyes snapping up from her amber tool.

"Xen? It's Gerrel." The strong bold voice of the aging warship himself sounded through the muffling metal.

"One moment, _Admiral_." She hissed, closing her tool and approaching the door. She released the lock and the pressurized slithers of heavy metal slipped apart, revealing the bleached bone shaded armor of the Admiral, adorned with the crimson cloth wraps. His mask peered up and tried to see inside her darkened office, only the small orange square of her monitor glowing towards the back of the tomb.

"Can I _help_ you Han?" She snarled, stepping into his gaze. He tilted his head down to her, silver eyes behind the foggy mask looking condescending.

"Yes Xen, you can. I was curious as to how this information on Cerberus's project can help "_fix_" the Geth issue." He hoarsely spoke, quote marks adorning the highlight of his point. Xen rolled her eyes, trying hard to make it as visible to Han as possible through her mask.

"I'm working on it. This Project Overlord is quite the undertaking."

"What do you mean?" His voice peaked with curiosity at her words, crossing his arms. She peered up at the Admiral.

"This project of Cerberus's was to create a VI. My mistake was believing it controlled them, in reality, it was-in a sense-a god for them to worship, a figurehead." She explained proudly. Gerrel recoiled slightly.

"I remember Shepard speaking of this project vaguely during our war to retake Rannoch. He was able to enter the Geth consensus because of it."

"Yes. Now, if I can recreate the values of the VI, but as a defense- like a virus firewall program-The Geth can incorporate into their programming and minds, stopping anyone on the outside taking control." Xen lied with a smirk. Gerrel narrowed his eyes, unconvinced.

"No ulterior motive?"

"Should I have?" she spoke with a hiss as sharp as steel. Gerrel shrugged, uncrossing his arms.

"No, I suppose not. Be careful what you play with Xen. As much as I dislike the situation, Shepard is right. We live with the Geth now. Anything that affects them, affects us."

"Do you doubt me Admiral, my integrity?" She spat. Gerrel shook his head sarcastically.

"Never crossed my mind..._Admiral_." Gerrel leaned forward slightly with his tone.

"Right, well if you _excuse_ me Han, I have work that needs to be done." Xen said with finality as she swayed past him, on her way down the hall. Her Omni tool glowered as she stepped. Gerrel watched her go over his shoulder. To say he was concerned would be an understatement. He remembered Xen's past experiments, what she had created in those labs, abominations. He never batted an eye once at her work then, but now that the Geth lived next door to them, with them in "Peace?" He was concerned. If she were to do those same experiments on Geth nowadays, the uproar would be horrific, and possibly ending with the birth of another war. And with Project Overlord's instructions in her grip, she had more fuel than kindling. Gerrel caressed the chin plating of his helmet and turned to walk in the opposite direction, his mind still working away. He'd keep an eye on her.

Xen paced away from the Admiral of the Heavy fleet, feeling his eyes burn into the back of her jet black hood. She was too busy to care though, scanning through the documents of Overlord, the possibilities, the outcomes, so many stunning variables.

But her mind still lingered. Han'Gerrel. He was going to prove to be an issue. Her experiments could not allow for his fraternization. What she was planning wouldn't have caused more than a ruckus in the old days, but now that the Geth were allies, what she was planning held the punishment above Exile: Death. She could not allow that to happen. Xen would keep an eye on Gerrel.

...

Two weeks had elapsed since Tali had declined the Admiralty position, and both she and Shepard had now officially moved into their newly furnished home. Thanks to Shepard's heroic past and ability to make friends anywhere, the furnishings were done in record time, and at a low cost. A black leather three seat sofa adorned the oak polished floors of their white walled lounge. A cloth draped across the wall opposite in purple, marked with the wonderful silver Zorah clan swirls, a large Holo-screen homed on the wall above. Natural light beamed in through the front window and painted white squares along the floorboards.

The bedroom was fully furnished with curtains, a permanent decontamination unit that spanned the whole house and more polished wooden floorboards. The walk-in wardrobe was lined with Enviro-suit repair kits and different shawls to adorn it. Hung up was her standard purple one with Zorah swirls, her white one that she had worn to the party on the Citadel and even a lacy black one that she blushed to even look at.

_Obviously the suit wouldn't be under that one, just me. _She giggled with heated cheeks, looking at the other racks of Shepard's Jeans, shirts and formal attire. He was a man of one fashion style apparently.

She yawned and clapped her dry mouth, her ruffled bed hair of ragged black splayed out, defying gravity apparently. She rubbed her silver eyes with small balled fists and shuffled her tired feet into the on-suite Bathroom. The shower was large enough for two, something Shepard made absolutely clear he wanted, and the white tiling made the room even bright when natural light traced in through the crystallized, almost opaque window.

After having a cleansing shower, scrubbing her body of dry sweat that she'd emitted during a heated night of passion, she toweled her curvy physique off, soft grey skin against furry cloth. She loved the sensation that prickled her sensitive skin when she rubbed her body clean. As the steam vented and the mirror began to defog, she caught a glimpse in the corner of her eye of her body. She stopped dead and turned her head, keeping her body sideways to the mirror. She titled her head and looked over herself. Tali ran a three fingered hand, still slightly wrinkly from the shower, over her curved waist, riding it down to her ample rear. She sighed and held her breath, sucking in her toned stomach. She once again sighed through purse lips, slumping her shoulders. She was in incredible shape, something Shepard obviously knew too.

_Keelah, he hasn't let me sleep a full night since we moved in! Stop being self conscious, he thinks you look fine._

Tali's selflessness began to even affect her own thoughts of herself, finding it hard to accept that she had a perfect body, something Shepard reminded her day in and day out of.

She pulled her snug Enviro-suit on, very difficult when her body was still slightly damp from the shower, making it bunch up at the hips and thighs.

"Keelah, not-argh-easy!" She groaned, pinching out the wrinkles and flattening them. Once fully fitted in the skin tight black suit she walked out of the bathroom, feeling the temperature drop on her still drying face. Tali walked into the closet, tapping her chin with a slender gloved finger. Her other hand still toweled at her hair.

"Hmm...We need to meet with Gerrel today, so...hmm..." She flicked her eyes back on forth between her standard purple shawl and the white one. She threw the towel in the hamper and turned back to the selection. Tali shrugged and pulled out the white and black one, holding it up in front of her. She pulled her arms through the holes and flung the hood up over her damp black hair, then tied it around her waist and each thigh. Happy with the mixture, she pulled the hood down and puffed her hair forward as she sorted her white hood out.

After around fifteen minutes of hair drying, fitting, her suit was ready. She snapped the purple mask in place, a vibrant dab of color against the Bronze of her neck and belts, black of her suit and the white of her shawl. The silver metal that encased her legs was clamped shut and her boots came on next, wiggling toes into place. She did the three bets up across her ribs under her ample chest.

Tali happily trotted down the stairs, holding the banister rail. Her _own _banister rail, in her _own _home! Tali smiled brightly behind the mask. She'd known that the meeting was soon and that Gerrel had request both Shepard and Tali attend.

She walked into the kitchen, seeing Shepard leaning his back against the marble breakfast counter. The fridge door was open to his side, blocking her view of the rest of the kitchen. His eyes widened with happiness as he laid eyes on Tali.

"Hey sweetheart, you're up!"

"Hey John, good morning! I've got to say..." She started her voice, husky and very bold. "After last night, I'm a little weak in the knees."

Shepard spluttered on his sip of tea, eyes wide at her words. She giggled and tugged on his shirt, biting her lip. She was snapped from her thoughts as the fridge door slammed shut, revealing the Turian form of Garrus Vakarian. His beady blue eyes read "Oh for god's sake" with a mix of shock. He always saw Tali as a little sister, and hearing her speak in such a way made him roll his eyes till they hurt.

"Here's an idea. Next time you enter a room...Take a quick scan!" He gestured to the room. Tali's cheeks heated and her head sunk into her shoulders.

"Hey Garrus. Long time no see." She nervously giggled, Shepard pressing his hand to the small of her back to support her.

"Uh-huh. Well apparently Shepard is keeping his Mrs happy." Garrus smirked at Shepard, cracking open a can of Dextro cola. Tali's head lifted up.

"Hey! That's my private stash!" she whined.

"I thought Quarian's shared everything?!" Garrus shrugged. Tali snarled.

"_Not_ my cola."

"Ha, well, Finders keepers." Garrus smirked with his plates, sipping the beverage back. Shepard chuckled as he sipped his tea. Tali rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Well I'm glad I put my mask on upstairs, I had no idea you were here Garrus." Tali spoke.

"Why oh why won't you let me see your face, Tali? What's under there, some kind of tentacle monster, you into that sort of thing Shepard?" Garrus chuckled, not expecting the Quarian punch that met his shoulder. He rubbed his arm while laughing at Tali's reaction. Shepard shook his head and gulped the remainder of his tea. Even though Garrus was still clad in the same silver and blue armor he wore during the Reaper war, pristine cleaned to a chrome standard, He still felt Tali's hard punch to his bicep.

"Why are you here Vakarian?" She snarled. He shrugged, sipping the cola.

"Thought I'd see how the house was coming along. Looks nice Shepard, you did well." He nodded his approval, leaning against the Kitchen counter. Shepard nodded his thanks, setting his empty mug in the sink. Tali huffed as she saw no drink awaiting her. But her beloved Captain always surprised her.

"Here you go Tal, a fresh cup of_ Dextro_ Coffee." He stressed as he handed the piping mug to her. After the mix up that happened a week ago where she drank Levo tea, Guilt sunk its fangs into Shepard's heart. Ironically, even though she had a weak immune system, He'd never heard Tali vomit before, and standing outside of the bathroom as she did so made him sigh with gnawing guilt.

"Thank you John, that's very sweet. I'm going to umm...Drink it while I get my things. I'll be back in a bit." She said nervously, turning to leave the room. Her footfalls sounded as she walked up the stairs, along with the hiss of a detaching mask.

"Seriously Shepard, why won't she take her mask off in front of me, anyone for that matter?" Garrus shrugged with eyes full of concern. Shepard sighed through pursed lips, rubbing his stubbly jaw, his skin rasping against the hairs. his hands fell rapidly, clapping against his jeans coated legs.

"Garrus, to her it's a_ serious_ sign of trust. It took her _half an hour_ to work up the courage to take the mask off our first ever night together, before the Omega four relay. I had to help her!" Shepard chuckled faintly. Garrus's eyebrow plates lifted in shock at the words "Half an hour."

"Half an hour? Spirits." Garrus scoffed as he sipped the cola.

"Hell, she only recently showed her face to Raan after nearly a decade. Nah, it's...incredibly intimate to her." Shepard defended her, peering at the ceiling where she was now allocated upstairs. Garrus nodded in thought, his thumb caressing the thin aluminium of the can.

"So Vakarian, what about you? How's the dating front going?" Shepard changed the subject. Garrus shrugged, his throat tightening beneath the mandibles.

"Let's not go there."

"Ah come on buddy, any more reach and flexibility stories?" Shepard chuckled.

"HA!" they both heard from upstairs in an accented voice.

"You told her?!" Garrus whined. Shepard shrugged.

"We tell each other everything." He smirked, Garrus rolling his eyes and sipping his cola to hide the shame. If a Turian's bony face structure could flush with blood, he'd be blushing heavily. A quick cough to his fist cleared his throat.

"Nah, it's been quiet Shepard. A few one night stands, but mostly to relieve..."

"Stress?" Shepard raised an incredulous eyebrow. Garrus tilted the cola can in appreciation to his word.

"Exactly. I-It's been hectic on Palaven, working with Victus, setting up supply chains...Hell, I can't remember the last time I shot something." Garrus chuckled weakly. Shepard nodded.

"Same. It's been hard accustoming to civilian life...but...I wouldn't change it for a thing." He smiled as he heard Tali's fast footfalls galloping down the staircase. Garrus nodded with a flick of his mandibles, what Shepard came to know as a Turian smile.

"Yeah...Life can't get any better." Sheppard grinned.

"I'm glad, spirits, you've earned some happiness." Garrus chuckled. Shepard shoved his friend with an elbow.

"We all have." He smiled; looking at the door frame as Tali re entered the Kitchen, mask back on. The cup in her hand was empty of coffee as she walked over to the sink placing it in the tray and running the tap's cold water. Shepard's smile widened as he let his eyes linger over Tali's form, the white shawl that hugged her figure, the bronze belts, and the dash of black along her shawl's borders. She looked stunning.

Shepard walked over to her and took her hands gently from the sink, her gloves sopping wet. "I'll do it honey." He whispered in her ear, Tali soothed by his baritone rumble. "You look beautiful today."

"Ooh, thank you." She cooed, turning her head at Garrus. He was smirking that same smirk he always wore, shaking his head. Tali snuck out from around Shepard's arms, walking over to Garrus.

"So, how've you been Tali?" Garrus asked. She gave a small shrug.

"Good, really good actually. Accept for all the Admiralty stress." She sighed, fingers massaging her glass masked brow. Garrus raised an eyebrow ridge.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Just as Tali's lips parted to speak, the words coming out were not her own.

"Tali got offered a position on the Admiralty board, but declined." Shepard spoke from the sink proudly. Tali scoffed a laugh.

"Finishing each other's sentences now? Wow." Garrus laughed. "So, meeting with these Admirals again? What, they not had enough of accusing you of treason, blowing up ships while we're still on them, and getting punched in the chest by Shepard?" Garrus smirked to the Commander as he dried his hands with a towel. Tali chuckled to herself.

"Apparently not. No, Gerrel wants to see us about Xen's work and a possible situation."

"Possible...situation?" Both Shepard and Garrus harmonized. Tali cocked her head.

"I told you that!" She placed her hands on her wide hips. Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, sighing through pursed lips.

"I...must have been distracted. When did you tell me?"

"Last night before we-" She suddenly realized how present Garrus was and stopped her words as a wave of heated blood boiled in her soft cheeks. She was very glad for her mask hiding her face. "We erm...went to bed! Yeah, before we went to bed." Tali decided on her answer, mumbling to herself and intertwining her fingers nervously.

"It's amazing how transparent Tali can be, even with that almost opaque mask in the way." Garrus chuckled, Shepard shaking his smirking head. Tali crossed her arms and sighed, eyeing the floor.

"Anyway, what's this situation?" Shepard spoke up, saving Tali from Garrus's banter.

"All Gerrel told me is that we're meeting to discuss a "Situation" that is of major concern." She quote marked the words with bouncing fingers. Shepard nodded, looking at Garrus.

"Wanna tag along?"

"Third wheel as always? Sounds too good to pass up Shepard." The Turian smirked, crushing the can in his palm and throwing it into the chrome trash can. Shepard chuckled as they walked to the front door hallway, Shepard pulling his boots over his white socks and tying them. Garrus tugged his chrome plated boots over his large reptilian two toed feet.

After grabbing his N7 jacket, he and the others left the house, locking it behind him.

...

A long sky car ride to the Envoy ship yard ended abruptly with a touch down upon the landing pad aloft the Neema. Gerrel's warship, tattered with burned shell rounds and scolded metal plating. The multicolored replacement parts told a tale of age old struggles and a lack of technology to meet Quarian engineering skills. The Morning war was forever immortalized in the hulls of these titanic vessels.

The sky car opened like a clam and out folded Shepard, Garrus and Tali. A cold windy breeze hit them hard as the height of the Neema did nothing to stop the barrage of gales. Tali's hood fluttered and bellowed in the howling winds. Garrus walked around the metal square pad and peered over the edge, vision fuzzy at the lengthy drop down the side of the vessel. By his plated boot toes was a small bolt. He gave it a soft tap and sent it falling off the ship roof, cascading to the ground miles below. The small nut pinged off the side of the hull and soon lost its visibility, the flickering of light reflecting off of it vanishing into the dirt.

"Long drop." He chuckled. Tali stood beside Shepard, checking a datapad she was holding. Her gloved index finger scrolled the page down. Shepard leaned into her shoulder, nosily glaring at the pad.

"Whatcha doin?" he asked, nudging her slightly with his shoulder.

"John please, this is Xen's first report on her work."

"Oh" He suddenly stiffened up, peering at the pad intently. His hand caressed his stubbly chin. "Seems...like she's actually doing good work with it...so far." He mumbled, looking over one particular sentence.

_All in all, this technology based upon Cerberus's hybrid VI has allowed me to forward my research and even unlock secrets on the religious tendencies of the Geth. _

"Religious tendencies? Sounds like the Geth we encountered on Feros, the ones kneeling next to that idol." Tali spoke. Shepard nodded.

"Except in that case, it was Saren and Sovereign, the VI Cerberus made was used as a figurehead for the Geth. Cerberus wanted to control them religiously."

"So why is Xen so interesting that?" Tali asked.

"Don't know." Shepard shrugged.

"We need to speak with her."

"Agreed." Shepard nodded. They both turned around as a door leading inside the Neema slid open, and a group of male Migrant Fleet Marines emerged. Both Shepard and Tali's eyes widened at the man in charge. A red and gold marine.

"Ma'am, Commander." Reeger nodded with a hidden smile.

"Reeger! You made it!" Tali leaped up, hugging him tightly. He staggered back from the brunt and Shepard chuckled.

"Ah! Good to see you too _Ma'am._" He chuckled. Tali stepped back from the hug, giving him a crossed arms raised eyebrow behind the mask. "Still working on it." He scoffed. Shepard walked up beside Tali.

"Heard you died on Palaven. You sure have a way of surviving death, don't you Reeger." Shepard chuckled, offering a hand shake. The Quarian male gladly took it.

"Coming from the man you died once, and nearly died again, I'll take that as a compliment. Good to see you sir." Kal chuckled as he shook the Commander's firm hand.

"How'd you survive Palaven?" Shepard blurted, he had to know how this Quarian had survived such odds.

"Huh. Yeah, I guess it doesn't make much sense does it? Well, my squad and I were on Palaven working on repairing and protecting a critical communications tower, used for relaying critical mission information back to the Turian Hierarchy. Then the Reaper's showed up." Kal took a sharp breath, flicking the numbness from his wrists like water droplets. "Whew...we erm...we got surrounded so damn quickly. I took more rounds to the chest than a Quarian should be able to handle. I was swimmin in antibiotics! Each one of my men fell, and finally the last of us decided to make a stand, a sacrifice to keep that tower operational.

"We lasted hours, just the five of us left. We made makeshift shields from the hides of Brutes. Three of us would make a line of shields, while two behind shot over us. It was impenetrable...for a while. When the...whew...the-the banshees showed up, all hell broke loose. They warped through our defenses and slaughter my brothers. I gave a final Hoo-rah, took out my thermal grenade and waited for the death blow.

"But it never came." He shrugged, Shepard, Garrus and Tali intently listening. "The sky just...well, it lit up." He looked at Garrus, pointing. "The Turian fighter squadron: Artimec wing, they came back, dropping bombs all over those Reapers bastards. The silence was deafening after that, ear splitting even.

"I staggered around for a while with just a pistol, more infections in my blood than I can count on both hands. Finally I suffered an Anaphylactic shock, and I went into a coma. Woke up on a hospital bed days later, strapped to more machines than you can believe, honestly, I counted fifteen drips attached to my skin!" Reeger chuckled weakly. "Apparently I was declared dead on site, but someone didn't give up on Me." he smiled through his mask.

"Who?" Tali asked, her voice quivering from the images of his story.

"General Corinthus." Garrus raised his eyebrows in shock and disbelief. "He led a rescue mission through the Laera Mountains and found our tower. He could just about find my pulse from what he said, and got me to the Turian hospital station nearby.

"One of the Envoy ships helping in that area picked us...me up, and took care of me. the rest is...well, here I am. Alive." He shrugged.

"Son of a bitch. He's the Quarian Shepard!" Garrus laughed. "He survives death and shrugs it off."

"It does sound familiar." Tali bumped her hip against Shepard's.

"Well, I'm glad to see you alive, Kal. I was devastated when I read the message that you'd...died." Shepard sighed.

"Glad to hear I have that affect on people." Kal chuckled, cheering Shepard up. "Now, if you'd like to follow me, Admiral Gerrel and Xen would like to speak with you. It's urgent." Kal gestured past his troops to the hallway leading into the catacombs within the ship's ribs. Shepard stepped forward with Tali, Garrus lagging behind, enjoying to walk on his own. As a Turian he was the largest one here, and he wasn't a fan of the Quarian's tight hallways.

"So what's going on Kal? Everyone seems on edge." Shepard asked.

"Not for me to discuss." he said bluntly.

"Reeger." Tali said softly, grasping his arm and stopping the marine's march. He stared at her mask through his own. He could see her eyes. "Please, what is going on?"

"Keelah, Ma'am." He sighed, rubbing his glass brow. "Fine, look, you didn't hear this from me, but a Group of savage Quarian's are attacking a Geth consensus farm. That's all I know." Reeger said in hushed tones.

"Savage Quarians?" Shepard raised an incredulous eyebrow. Reeger nodded as they continued their stroll. By this point the other Marines with Reeger had halted and stayed to guard the landing pad.

"Yeah, though their clan goes by the name _Xi'Taka, _owners of the land. They went into hiding during the morning war somewhere in the eastern valleys. They tried to stay alive eating the herbs on the land. The results made them feral."

"That sounds familiar, remember the people we met when trying to find Jacob's father?" Garrus chimed from behind.

"Yeah, they ate the fruit and it deteriorated their minds." Shepard shook his head at the memory of that man, Jacobs's father. A man who saw fit to rule over this pack of feral humans like a king. He got what he deserved in the end, disowned by his son and handed a gun to end his own life.

"Interesting, but I don't think it's the same. Some of the herbs out in the Eastern plains are toxic to Quarians, can make us revert to animalistic ways. Anyway, now their attacking the Geth consensus farm from what I've heard." Reeger whispered as they rounded a sharp corner. "We'll find out more at the meeting."

They turned another corner and were back in the rounded war room, the blue hologram in the center replaced by a view of the large Consensus farm. According to this rotating image, it was similar to a power station. A large acre of square shaped land covered with Geth block buildings, not bothered by aesthetics but practicality. Hundreds of rows of Consensus banks were lines together along with the same pods that Shepard had used to enter a consensus years prior. It was a large complex. Some of the holographic blue structures dissolved into red pixels, declaring a lost structure.

Gerrel stood with his arms crossed across the table, the blue and red lights illuminating him. Xen was to his left, and Kronos stood to the right.

"Shepard, Tali, a pleasure." Gerrel nodded his mask. Shepard gave a humble nod back.

"Xen." Shepard smiled. She titled her head before giving a curt nod back. "Now, what's going on?" Shepard asked, gesturing towards the hologram. Gerrel cleared his throat stepping forward.

"Shepard, we hate to call on you during your retirement, but an issue has arisen. A clan known as the Xi'Taka are attacking a Geth consensus farm, or so Kronos here believes." He tilted his hand toward Kronos. The Prime's three red orbs flared.

"I have felt their demises. This is happening in real time." Kronos growled. Shepard nodded.

"What do you want us to do?" Shepard asked dryly.

"I won't lie to you Shepard, if this Consensus farm is lost, then it could mean all out war between the Geth and Quarians. It is of vital importance that you get to the main hub and before the Geth do." Gerrel stammered, Kronos raising a ridge. Shepard agreed with Kronos's expression.

"Why?" He asked.

"That is not important right now, just see to it." Gerrel snarled. Shepard peered over his shoulder at Garrus in the corner, his features barely lit by the dim light. His arms were crossed as were his feet. His head was low and a slight shake of it told Shepard all he needed to know.

_Yep, he's pissed. _

"Keelah, Gerrel, you want us to march into battle without any information?" Tali snapped. Gerrel sighed, depressing a panel on the table with a palm.

"These Savage Quarians are attacking a Geth farm and it is of vital importance that they do not reach the main hub!"

"Admiral Gerrel is correct. The main hub if lost could wipe out all Geth residents within the server." Kronos rumbled. Shepard rubbed his chin as he looked over the new image of the farm.

"How're we getting in?" Shepard asked, ignoring Gerrel's lack of information.

"We're calling it Operation uppercut. Two Shuttles will move in, and take out the Savage Quarians. Lethal force _will_ be necessary."Gerrel instructed, his voice dry as dirt.

"Lethal force...O-On Q-Quarians?" Tali stammered, horrified at the idea of killing her own kind. Shepard rubbed her shoulder in condolence.

"Afraid so Tali, but these are _not_ your people. They've been on Rannoch for almost three hundred years, the chances of them recognizing you as one of their own are impossible. They do not have Enviro-suits, so they will most likely not see you as Quarian, and see you as a threat, quite feral indeed."

"Keelah. I-I-I...I don't know if I can-"

"I request that Tali'Zorah be dismissed from this mission." Shepard blurted, Tali snapping her gaze on him.

"What?"

"Tali, you don't want to kill these Quarians, that's what I love about you, your big heart. But they will not hesitate. I won't let you die to some drugged up monster Quarians." Shepard sighed. Tali found his hands and squeezed.

"Oh-okay. I-I will stay and umm...help coordinate." She whispered softly to him. He pressed his forehead to her mask.

"Thank you." He softly spoke to her.

"Shepard Commander?" Kronos's baritone voice blared. Shepard peered up at the titan Geth Prime. "I will accompany you in Creator Zorah's place."

"What?!" Gerrel roared.

"Shepard Commander needs another combatant. I am more than capable of inflicting damage." Kronos spoke.

"Kronos, you're welcome to come, these _are_ your people after all." Shepard shrugged.

"Shepard, I don't think it wise that-"

"Why are you so opposed to Kronos coming Gerrel?" Shepard asked, crossing his arms.

"Because the savage Quarians are targeting Geth specifically! You'd be at more risk walking around with a Prime! Chances of stealth are impossible with_ that_!" Gerrel fumed. Kronos stepped back slightly.

"I will not risk your life Shepard Commander." Kronos whirred. Shepard nodded a thanks to Kronos.

"I'll come." To everyone's surprise, the voice came from Xen's accented tone. She stepped forward as the blue hologram's rippling light danced on her visor.

"You are no combatant, Xen!" Gerrel scoffed.

"I can handle a shotgun. Want to find out Han?" she cooed. Gerrel cleared his shaky throat. Shepard just felt a pang of respect for Xen.

"Okay Xen, you're in." Shepard thumbed towards her. She nodded and kept her rigid pose, hands behind her back. Gerrel sighed with defeat, moving on subject wise.

"Kal'Reeger will lead the secondary team; they'll keep the majority of the Xi'Taka off of you, along with keeping Geth protection forces in line."

"In line?" Shepard growled at the Admiral.

"Tali, I will need your help coordinating." Gerrel spoke immediately, speaking over Shepard. "Shepard, join Kal in the shuttle bay. Thank you for your help."

"I live here now, time to pull my own weight." He shrugged. Garrus stepped into the light.

"I'll tag along Shepard, you'd never cope without me, especially in _your_ retired state." Garrus chuckled.

"You sure? Could get dicey." Shepard smirked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, I'm on leave for a while, I've got time to help you."

"Thanks." Shepard smiled warmly. Garrus nodded his appreciation.

"We'll get ready to move soon Gerrel."

"Appreciate it Shepard." Gerrel said across the war table. Xen walked around, joining Shepard and Garrus.

...

After an hour of preparation, and arming up, Shepard rolled his shoulders as he tried to wear in his armor again. His old suit was destroyed by Harbinger, but the Alliance gave him a newly furbished one for mementos sake. Now he had to use it again.

He stood on the landing pad aloft the Neema, the warm Tikkun rays soaking into his carbon and Kevlar fiber coated armor. His gloved hands were occupied, small Quarian fingers latched around his.

"I wish you didn't have to do this." Tali huffed, biting back tears.

"Hey, I live here now, and your people need my help-our help."

"I know...it's just..."

"I'll be fi-

"You'll be fine, I know, I've heard that before." She chuckled weakly. As soon as Shepard heard a slight sniffle, he cupped her helmet cheeks.

"Hey, I'll come back; got plenty to come back to. Besides, I've got Garrus, Reeger and a damn Admiral on my side, we'll do just fine." He chuckled as Tali lunged forward wrapping her arms tight around him. It took him a few seconds to calm his surprised rigid body and hug her back.

"I love you." She whispered into his ear. Shepard smiled at her words, hugging her tighter.

"I Love you too."

Xen stepped into the shuttle, a retrofitted Kodiak with a silver paint job, covered with mix and matched replaced parts. Of the two Kodiaks, one had Graffiti plastered all over its bland hull, living up the grey with lime greens and bright oranges.

Garrus was sat on the lip of the shuttle, smirking at the quiet moment between his two best friends. Reeger lugged a heavy rifle into the ship, dropping it in the corner.

"Man, look at that. Have you ever seen two people more perfect for each other?" Garrus chuckled. Reeger peered back, crossing his now free arms.

"Yeah. Commander's a luckily guy."

"What'd you say Xen?" Garrus asked the Admiral in question. Her hands met her shapely hips.

"Eh." she shrugged. "We have a job to do."

Reeger and Garrus chuckled as the Kodiak's began to warm their engine's up. The four movable jets moved forward and back like a Cat Stretching.

Shepard heard the shuttles warming up and knew he had to go. "I'll talk to you soon okay. Send me my mission updates in that sexy voice, Miss Vas Normandy." He smirked playfully at her.

"Ooh. Okay, I think I can do that for you." She huskily replied, but failing as he stepped back. "Come back..."

"Always." He sadly smiled, walking towards the shuttles. He turned his back to Tali and his mind felt heavy. It seemed ridiculous and clingy, but he already missed her.

Tali pushed the fluttering in her stomach down and gulped over the lump in her constricted throat. She turned and headed back inside the Neema, to stop her hood from blowing down in the heavy winds.

Shepard stepped into the hovering Shuttle, the warmth of the blue fire from the jets heating his armored legs. The sudden temperature change made him jolt slightly. His memories and training began to return on cue, to certain sounds, to certain smells, all triggering vibrant memories of conflict. Luckily he didn't relate the scent of Tali to any kind of horror they faced.

"Ready Commander?" Xen clicked and whirred her shotgun from the corner of the tall shuttle.

"Let's just do this."

...

* * *

**Author's notes: Another Chapter! Next one will be action packed and intense story wise! come on guys, help me out and review! I need to know if you like it! Really helps and motivates me! Rant over, enjoy guys! Love you all!**

**Keelah se'lai!**

**-Dave**


	7. Chapter 7: Operation Uppercut

_The silence was harrowing, haunting, terrifying. Only the lone shrilling caw of a Rannoch Crow filled the air, echoing and reverberating off the canyon walls like the screams of so many. Organic and Synthetic screams still rattling in his ears. _

_Sat with arched back against the tattered hull of Kodiak was Shepard, his face drenched red with blood of different shades, both dry and fresh. A metallic tang hit his taste buds as the iron in the blood trickled into the crease of his lips. Both Quarian and human blood covered him. His armour was torn and scolded. Metal gouges bent outwards and white translucent Geth fluid dripped from his ravaged left shoulder Pauldron. The white and red of his N7 armour turned hellish gore as the blood trickled within the fine division of colours. His eyes were glazed and distance, his wrists balanced on his pulled up knees. A split along his glove revealed the whiting bone of his revealed knuckle. His fingers shook violently, his quaking eyes set on nothing, simply staring into an abyss of memory. His skin left heavy lines of itching as hot blood trickled down his scalp. _

_The only sounds to be heard were the creaking of ravaged metal, the howling winds echoing through the metal carcass and the static radio fuzz._

"_She...Shepa...Do you-r-r-r-read? She-Shepard?" the radio crackled in the accented voice of Shala'Raan, but he didn't hear it, only the high pitch whine that filled his drums an hour prior. _

...

Fifty nine minutes and fifty nine seconds earlier: Two tattered Kodiak shuttles bellowed low over the rusty dirt of Rannoch's plains. Small patches of shrubbery and tufts of pale herbs sprouted up from cracks in the heat baked surface. The splits and cracks in Rannoch's skin made Shepard's mouth go dry, lapping his tongue against the crusted roof of his mouth. A trickle of beaded sweat ran down his forehead, dripping off his sharp brow and spitting onto the side of his nostril. It dripped and landed on his lip, the sensation to lick it being too strong as his tongue lapped the salty spec of water.

They flew alongside the other Kodiak, peering across the land at its open hull. Reeger sat with his feet hanging off the side of the Kodiak, rifle in his lap. He seemed almost emotionless as he shoved a new thermal clip into the chamber, but he was a Migrant fleet marine, and the safety of his people was imperative, no matter the enemy...even other bands of rebel Quarians.

Shepard titled his head out of the side of the racing Kodiak, relishing in the fresh warm breeze that greeted his face. He turned back and looked at the team inside. Sat on one of the fold down seats was Garrus, perching his Incisor Sniper rifle on his armor plated lap, cocking the mechanism. He peered over at the cockpit, the Quarian Marine in the seat clad in beige armor, adorned with cream colored cloth wraps.

On the other side of the Kodiak's innards was Daro'Xen. She was pumping her Scimitar shotgun, swinging it around and locking the deactivated shrapnel launcher onto the small of her back. On her taught right thigh was a deactivated M-9 Tempest. The block of Submachine gun was folded up and at her side, thermal clip in place.

"Ready for this Daro?" Shepard asked, grabbing onto the rafters above as the Kodiak creaked and shook. She did the same, one hand at her side.

"Always Commander." She said bluntly. She was hardly one for conversation that didn't revolve around experiments on Synthetics.

"So why'd you choose to come along, not that I don't appreciate the help!" he called over the loud roaring engines. Xen shrugged.

"Interest in the Consensus farm. I'm hoping to test out my prototype." She said nonchalantly. Shepard scoffed, shaking his head.

"Of course." Shepard scoffed, shaking his head. "What prototype?" He asked dryly.

"With the research you gave me on Overlord, over the past few weeks, I was able to create a prototype firewall system to protect the Geth from..."

"Control? Indoctrination?"

"Basically, yes. It acts as a deity, something for them to openly accept and worship. Then they will have no such qualms of allowing it to be interfaced into them." Xen spoke as she showed Shepard her Omni tool.

"Huh. so the Geth will believe they've been given a choice, when in reality..."

"They'll worship it either way. The illusion of choice, for their own good. Like I said, it's still a prototype. I need to test it."

"Absolutely. I've got to say Xen, I'm surprised at you." Shepard smiled as the Kodiak rocked again.

"Oh?" she smirked beneath her mask.

"Yeah. I honestly thought you'd do something crazy with that data." Shepard shrugged gently.

"Back during the war when we had no home world, had to do anything to reclaim this world and survive, then yes, maybe I would have, but now? We live next door to these Synthetics. On the cusp of war, no. Not the time." She sighed, closing her Omni Tool.

"Well, that's very grown up of you Xen." he smiled.

"Well I am a very grown up woman." She cooed, grabbing her shotgun from her back. The gun sprung out and into shape, forming in her hands. Shepard chuckled and turned to Garrus as he stood up with a groan.

"Getting old Vakarian?" Shepard smirked.

"You wish." The Turian in question grinned. Shepard scoffed a laugh and turned to the cockpit, staggering over in the rocking ship. Garrus gulped and turned to Xen.

"So Admiral, what you packing in that gun?" He gulped again till his throat was dry as the business end of the barrel peered up at him.

"Want to find out?" she said in a husky tone that everyone came to know as her "Happy tone" Garrus chuckled weakly.

"Can it be the left cheek? This one is still scarred. Might even it out." He joked, actually making Xen exhale a dry laugh. She lowered the shotgun and Garrus sighed relief. She was a scary Quarian, alright.

"Thirty seconds to target!" The pilot announced as the Kodiak began to dive slightly. Shepard dug his fingers into the squishy leather flesh of the pilot seat. Garrus and Xen held onto the rafters above.

"Okay, listen up marines! We're dropping into a hot zone! Xi'Taka are swarming all over this site and Geth are nervous of any Quarians who show up. Friendly fire will not be tolerated. We are here to put down the Xi'Taka and buy Shepard and Xen enough time to get to the main hub and set the firewalls and defenses back online. Geth will be plentiful so be wary." Reeger announced over the comm. "Can I get a Hoorah?!"

"HOORAH!" His marines roared over the comm. Shepard nodded and watched as they ducked over the mountains, swimming through the hot air towards the massive expanse of the Eastern Canyon's Geth Consensus Farm. The large settlement was more like a power plant than a village. But the Geth were software, they lived in data and servers.

"Be wary of the Geth?" Garrus spoke in hushed tones as Shepard staggered by.

"Reegar's worried that the Geth will try and kill us. From their point of view, to be fair I don't blame them." Shepard sighed. He snapped his earpiece onto his ear, pressing a finger to it.

"Tali? Sweetheart, you there?"

"_Yes, I'm here. Gerrel is here too."_ The Comm stuttered back to him. _"Hello Shepard." _Gerrel spoke to him through the earpiece.

"Hey sweetheart." Shepard smirked, Garrus chuckled and Xen shook her head, stifling a faint laugh.

"_Shepard, it is imperative that you get in that hub before the Geth."_

"Why's that again Gerrel?"

"_It's a long story, just do it. I can explain later."_

"Alright, Shepard out." he lowered his finger. His eyes met Xen's reflective mask. "You know what's going on?" he shrugged towards her.

"Honestly, I'm in the dark also. Whatever it is, Gerrel is hiding it from you for as long as he can."

"Seems like he doesn't want to mention it on any frequency." Garrus spoke, towering over Xen. "Or in front of that Geth Prime in the meeting."

"Yeah..." Shepard thought. He was shook from his thoughts as they came to a hover. The trio turned to the opened door, peering at the huge Geth power plant below. Rows upon rows of bluish silver metal pods lined the expanse. A massive rounded structure in the center of the maze drew Shepard's attention.

"That must be the main hub. Alright, stay together and we'll be fine!" He grabbed the M-96 Mattock from his back and leaped from the low Kodiak, landing inside the maze, suddenly losing sight of the hub. Xen thumped beside him, her shotgun raised. Garrus landed as well, Vindicator aimed, sniper rifle on his back. The shuttle closed up like a clam and shot off back over the sun glared mountains.

Shepard peered up as Kal'Reegar's Kodiak hovered on the other side of the complex. Several marines hopped out along with the red and gold clad one himself.

"Okay, Reegar's on the ground. Let's get to the hub, and quick."

"Right behind you Shepard." Garrus replied.

"Lead the way Commander." Xen dryly spewed. He walked onward, cream colored rifle raised. They turned a corner and heard a digital wail. Suddenly a Geth staggered back with spears and dents in it. Finally it dropped to its knees and spat hydraulic fluid all over the ground. Shepard tensed around his rifle. He gestured with a finger and Garrus followed the point, ducking behind a strategically placed block. Xen did the same on the other side, no arguments.

Suddenly a high pitch bark sounded followed by a blood curdling howl. Shepard aimed tighter and finally the culprit stepped around the corner. The Geth on the ground tried to get up, but the Savage Quarian slammed a bare foot down on its head crushing metal and wires into the earth. Hydraulic fluid foamed around the being's foot.

Shepard was awe struck. This was no ordinary Quarian. They were built the same, pale grey skin, markings of black lines and curved alien shins. Three toes adorned each foot and three fingers for each glove-less hand. They wore simply cloth wraps, covering genitalia and coiling around broad torsos. A hood similar to what a male Quarian would adorn their suit with covered the top of the haired scalp. Instead of wires and pipes coming from the back of the head, long black braided hair fell down the male's bare back. The silver eyes filled with feral desire set on Shepard and lips curled back to reveal yellowing serrated teeth. These monsters were no longer Quarians, something time long forgot. Whatever herbs they'd been living off had affected them radically. Three hundred years of having nothing else to eat had left them like animals.

The beast wrapped a bare hand around the spear embedded in the Geth and ripped it out, white dripping fluid on the serrated stone blade. The Quarian hissed and snarled in ancient Keelish tongue and launched the spear with a slight run up. Shepard rolled to the side as the stone blade smashed against the metal wall behind. It began an insane animalistic charge at Shepard, dropping onto all fours and sprinting at him with foaming mouth. His heart was in his throat and he knew what he had to do.

_I'm sorry._

He pulled the trigger and three bullets tore through the skin, deep red blood spilling from the wounds. The running turned to a gallop and finally a tumble to the floor, skidding to a stop at Shepard's feet.

His heart was pounding. His first ever Quarian kill. He staggered back from the body.

"Spirits! That's a Quarian!? That's what Tali looks like?"

"Don't fuckin compare her to _that_!" Shepard snapped. Garrus nodded. After a heated glare Shepard settled, running his hand over his scalp. "Sorry Gar-"

"Don't worry about it. If I got upset over a curse word, we'd all be dead and the Reaper's would have won." he smiled. Xen was on her knee, Omni Tool scanning the dead Quarian Savage.

"Keelah, they've been ingesting Sab'tose. No wonder they've become like this." She sighed, standing up and adjusting her readings.

"What? Sab'tose?" Shepard asked.

"It's an herbal plant that grows exclusively in this eastern part of the continent. The herbs can be ground up and sold as...Red sand." Xen explained.

"That explains the state of them; balding scalps, yellowing Teeth. I saw the same thing on Omega." Garrus sighed.

"But I thought it was a Biotic affecting drug?" Shepard asked curiously.

"It _can_ be sold as Red Sand; same properties, same appearance, different affects." Xen shrugged.

"She's right Shepard; we saw cases of extremely aggressive feral people on Omega. I just never thought it could link to this." Garrus sighed, his boot tilting the dead Savage's head.

"If Rannoch has only recently been freed, how have people been getting this drug?" Shepard asked.

"They grow on Palaven as well, but not in the same way as here. Rannoch has no insect life, so the pollen is spread differently, latching onto people and animals. On Palaven, the same plant has evolved to cater to insect life. It can flourish there too. That's where people have been getting it." Xen explained.

"So that's what they meant on Omega. I heard many drug dealers referring to a drug called Sab." Garrus tilted his head.

Suddenly another shriek sounded along with a rattle of gunfire. "Keep moving." Shepard instructed as the trio all activated guns on par with each other. They paced down the alleyway between rows of Consensus pods and aesthetic-less buildings. Some of the pods had been cracked open and Geth bodies had been destroyed.

Suddenly, like a horde of the undead, five male savage Quarian's turned the corner, snarling and roaring at the trio. Xen blasted Shrapnel into one of the males. Another leaped on Garrus, clawing at him like a Husk. Garrus brought his wrist up, roaring as he plunged his Omni blade deep into the Quarian's exposed jugular. He threw the convulsing body off and wiped his brow of foam.

"Keelah se'lai, you son of a bitch!" Garrus snapped, blasting rounds from his Vindicator at the other almost nude males. Shepard kneed one in the exposed chest and as it was winded, rolled over the hunched back, bringing his Omni blade down and into the spinal column. Braided hair sizzled and burned off on contact with the blade. The native, grey skinned body dropped lifeless.

Xen shot gunned the last male, rib cage blowing open and exposing organs. The cloth that adorned the savages body frayed and sizzled. A huge exit wound exploded across the shattered and exposed spinal cord. Normally anyone who saw something that gore infested would vomit or at least turn pale. Garrus and Shepard had seen it all, dulling their nerves, and getting barely even a shudder from Xen told them so had she. Xen pumped the gun and the piping hot shell ejected.

Suddenly a female Quarian sprinted around the corner, silver eyes and foaming fangs intent on Shepard. The rib cage was prominent and the soft curves that most female Quarians had were skinny and bone hugging. Balding scalps and barely any clothing made them look like the undead. The powerful legs and hips of the Quarian made her faster than males, lunging at Shepard. He braced as she hit him, his rifle firing upwards in disarray. His throat growled and he drove his hand up, grappling her neck and throwing the clawing female off of him. Just as the squirming Quarian tried to get up, two bullet wounds leaked red across her chest, stopping her dead. Garrus popped the spent thermal clip with a hiss.

"Let's get to the hub." Shepard nodded, turning on his heels and sprinting, Garrus and Xen with him, over all the bodies.

...

Forty minutes and thirteen seconds: Kal'Reegar and his squad of loyal marines aimed their array of weapons at the incoming Savages. Vindicators, Scimitars and even pulse rifles. The flurry of multicolored muzzle fire enticed the marines, but Kal...Kal saw only grey. His vision was homed on the combat, his ears numb and muffled, only the thumping of his heart keeping him sane. His eyes dazed and he simply pulled the trigger and reloaded, his muscles doing the motion almost instinctively. The savage Quarians running at him with robes and cloths covering their grey skin were barely visible in his mindset. Their blood spray sent vibrant douses of red into his world of pure grey, the muffled eruptions of his rifle barrel and recoil jarring into his shoulder being the only thing keeping him from falling into a complete state of instinct.

He clipped the shoulder of the last savage and got up from his knelt position, the lactic acid in his muscles fueling his instinctive motions. His mind was close to shut down and his body kept working, fighting. He stabbed his knee on the chest of the savage, teeth slamming shut, trying to bite Reegar. The marine's eyes were distant, silver pupils expanded. He unsheathed his knife strapped to his leg and slammed it into the savage's neck. Again he stabbed down, ripping the blade back out as a spray of red doused him and the horizon. Again and again he subconsciously stabbed and stabbed, a husk trying to kill him on the plains of Palaven.

"_Kal! Help! Argh! I'm being ripped apa-ARGH!"_ Kal heard echo through his mind along with his gonging heartbeat. Sweat trickled down his brow and his ragged breath began to fog his mask. He repeatedly brought the blade down into the neck of the spluttering savage.

"_No...No." Kal whimpered as he stood on Palaven's surface, peering at the Reaper Quarian before him. Curved legs and three fingers gave the humanoid husk it's only indication of Quarian origin. The husk peered up from munching on the fresh flesh of a disemboweled Migrant fleet Marine. The red stained head peered at Kal with dead eyes, blue light humming. _

Kal's stabs became more and more violent, losing their precise trajectory and landing anywhere on the savage's body. His mouth hissed and grunts of anguish escaped his lips with each violent stab.

_Kal staggered back as the Quarian husk, once called Veetor'Nara, a young innocent Quarian boy who went insane due to Nightmarish Collectors. When the Reaper war hit, the young boy volunteered his services, and Kal promised to take care of him. _

_Here he staggered towards Kal, a look of feral hunger, flesh hanging from cybernetic teeth. Glass from his mask crunched under heel as the Husk approached Reegar. All of the Marine's training could not prepare him for this. His lip trembled and his brow scrunched as tears ran from his silver eyes. He shook his head and a hissing gasp escaped his saliva stringed teeth. _

_The Veetor Husk was close and swung, Reegar shoving the beast back. The Husk staggered away like a feral drunk, swinging back around with heavy arms swaying. The blue optics that once housed scared yet powerful eyes now looked dead and full of Reaper horrors. He'd failed the boy. _

"DIE! DIE, YOU REAPER FUCK!" Reegar roared as his stabs to the mashed Savage simply ran off track, hitting and puncturing the jaw and nose, even the eye with his unsteady hand.

_Once again Reegar shoved the Quarian Husk away, this time much harder. Once again the persistent Reaper puppet swung back around, lip flaring in a growl. The broken Marine unsheathed his knife, quaking in his three fingered grip. The Husk grew near and he shoved once more, the Husk roaring with a gargled tectonic rumble. As it walked back again, Reegar roared a tear filled cry and slammed the blade deep into the Husk's collar bone, staggering with it as he knocked the wailing creature down on its back, landing on top of it. His vision blurred and he buried the knife deep in Veetor...the Husk's skull, a sickening pop sounding. Again he stabbed and again, and again, defacing the Husk, ripping out eyes and filling the Reaper flesh with stab holes. _

_With all his anger at himself and the Reaper's exhausted, he fell back onto his own spine, elbows propping him up, bursting into tears and falling back, hand's over his visor. His shoulder's bobbed and his gasps ran out amongst the quarry of dead Marine brothers._

"Die! Die!" Reegar bellowed as exhaustion began to set in, his arm now swinging on its own, stabbing into the annihilated savage. A hand grabbed his shoulder-

"Sir!" A marine trembled. Suddenly all the grey snapped away and Kal was conscious. He breathed heavily and turned his head seeing the bloodied hand that held the red blade sopping with gore. He followed the drips down and saw the body he knelt on. The destroyed and torn face and neck, covered in stab wounds that was once Quarian made him almost vomit.

"Argh!" He fell back, scuttling away from the body. His breath was ragged, his knees weak and his aching arms heavy.

"What the hell was that?" A marine whispered as they watched Kal regain his composure. He disabled his oxygen filter and allowed Carbon dioxide to flood his helmet, allowing the hot air to slow his rapid breathing to normal calmed breaths.

Finally he regained composure, his arm still feeling like it was stabbing, nothing more than a phantom movement, a muscle memory. He peered over his shoulder at his squad. They were terrified of him.

_I need help._

...

Twenty five minutes: Shepard and Xen with Garrus's support reached the main courtyard housing the main hub structure. Garrus popped off shots as Savages ran at him with rampant hunger. Shepard and Xen entered the structure and came to a large central point in the rounded structure. It was reminiscent of the machine that held Legion in place aboard the Geth dreadnought, large and cone shaped.

Shepard turned as Garrus locked the door with an Omni Tool overwrite. Banging and howls sounded at the door. Garrus caught his breath, hands on his knees.

"You okay?" Shepard asked, offering a hand, which Garrus waved off.

"Yeah...I'm...good." he wheezed, arching his back straight. Shepard turned to see Xen on her Omni tool.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Xen barely even paid attention to him, engrossed in her tool.

"I am trying to unlock the coding to this. I've already installed my prototype. Hopefully it works." She gestured to the tall central pillar. Shepard nodded, catching his own breath.

"Getting old Commander?" She commented without even lifting her gaze.

"Eh, maybe a little." He chuckled weakly. The banging on the door was incessant.

Finally she cracked it and the pod hissed, sliding apart. "Now we can see what Gerrel wanted us to find so damn quickly." Shepard sighed. As the slithers of metal folded away, a large spherical metal container became visible inside. The smoke that floated around it absorbed the white line shining light, making a silent ghostly fog.

"Keelah." Xen's eyes widened and her jaw slacked.

"What is it?" Shepard asked looking over the now visible sphere. Xen peered at him.

"It's...a bomb."

...

Reegar stood alongside his men, his right side of his suit still stained with blood. Dry specks of blood had blotched on his mask and he tried not to focus on them, instead making them red blurry orbs in his peripheral. His comm beeped and he took a deep breath.

"Kal'Reegar. What is it Commander?" He put on his usual cheery marine tone, peering at the defiled body with a gulp.

"Reegar, did you know about this?!" Shepard roared, making Kal wince.

"Know about what?"

"There is a four mega tonne Nuke sat in the middle of one of the biggest Geth Consensus farms on Rannoch!" Shepard bellowed, the comm crackling from the volume. Reegar's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"I'm having a chat with Gerrel, Shepard out." He finished, leaving Reegar and his men speechless.

...

Shepard was furious, pacing back and forth. Garrus was still awe struck at the madness of it. John's finger was pressed to his ear and desperately trying to contact Gerrel.

"_Shepard?"_

"Gerrel! Mind explaining to me why I'm staring at a four mega tonne Nuke sat in a Geth base?! Do you like war? Do you like the Geth kicking you off Rannoch?!"

"_Now hang on a minute-"_

"No, you hang on! Gerrel, if this goes off, it'll mean war!"

"_It was a precaution installed when the Geth first allowed us back. We had few numbers and had to be sure it wasn't a trap to finish us once and for all. Now we know we're safe, I called you in to disable it. Then the savages tried to get to it."_

"Jesus Christ..." Shepard bit his gloved knuckle. "It's not active Gerrel, and we can't carry it out."

"It's not active, good. That means it hasn't been found or tampered with. Commander, your mission is complete. We'll send in heavy lifting crews to remove the deactivated bomb once you're home. Well done." Gerrel congratulated. Shepard slapped a hand to his thigh, scoffing.

"Cool, great, cheers Admiral for the thanks! Never mind the massive fuck-off bomb sat here!" Shepard sarcastically glowered. "Gerrel? Gerrel!"

"_He's left the room."_ said the soft tone of Tali, Shepard calmed at her voice.

"Tali, damn is it good to hear your voice."

"_Keelah, is there really a bomb?"_

"Yeah, your war obsessed Admiral Thought it'd be smart to install if the Geth get uppity. Turians did the same thing to the Krogan and Wrex nearly killed Victus for it! We only just disarmed that at the cost of his son." Shepard rubbed his brow.

"_I know. He's a Bosh'tet. Look, just come home, we'll take care of the rest, okay?"_ She cooed.

"Okay sweetie. I'll see you soon. Shepard out."

"_Bye honey."_ she said with an obvious smile. Shepard hung up the call and turned back to Xen. She was tampering with some wires.

"Okay, it's not going to be accidentally detonated at all now. Safe as I can make it without my tools. Keelah Gerrel, you're an idiot." She hissed.

"At least we can agree on that. Might have to punch him again." Shepard growled.

"Get in line." Xen joked. Shepard scoffed and turned to Garrus. The cool air within the Hub gave them time to resist heatstroke, especially Shepard. His face was dry and skin cracked slightly.

"Blowing up a ship we were still on, and then sticking us in a room _with_ a bomb. Man, he's out to get us, I swear Shepard." Garrus shook his head. Shepard smirked a faint laugh as Xen joined them.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Always."

Suddenly the banging on the door fell silent and several bullet holes ripped through the door. Shepard and his team aimed at the door, fingers on triggers. The door slid open and dead savages slumped in. Blood trickled along the floor. Soon several Marines entered, one of them Reegar.

"Let's get out of here." Kal sighed, turning on heel, not even giving the bomb a second look. Shepard and the others followed suit. Outside were the two Kodiaks, hovering for pick up.

"Where are all the Geth?" Garrus asked, seeing the savages, but no mechanical bodies.

"Broken. They were and still are in the consensus. The units were hit first by the savages." Reegar spoke with disregard, stepping into the shuttle.

"Spirits! What happened to that body over there-"

"There is nothing to be gained in questions! Now let's move!" Reegar barked. Garrus nodded, stepping into the shuttle.

"We've got a heavy lifting crew inbound to removed the bomb. Should be done before the Geth can get units to clear this place up." The pilot announced as the Kodiaks pulled up and away. Dead savages were littered around the site, grey pale skin prominent even from this height. Shepard tilted his head to see Reegar sat on the fold down seat. His three finger hands were trembling and his distant eyes behind the mask rapidly darted back and forth.

"Reegar?" Shepard spoke softly. The marine snapped his head up, audio port glimmering. "You okay?"

"Yes sir." He quenched his shaky breath. "Of course."

...

Thirty seconds: Shepard peered out of the side of the Kodiak at the distant Geth farm. With the Savage's put down and the bomb disarmed, the Geth consensus farm was safely reclaimed, ready for Geth platforms to return and allow the servers to empty of Geth software.

Shepard looked at the other Kodiak alongside, Xen stood inside with several beige Quarian marines.

Shepard peered at his own Kodiak's innards. Garrus stood in the corner holding onto the rafters above with a free hand, Reegar sat in the seat staring at his shaky palms. Shepard had no idea what happened to make Reegar this way, but it had to be bad to shake this Marine up.

"This is Shepard. We're on our way out." Shepard spoke, finger to ear.

_"This is Tali. Glad to hear you're all okay."_

"Thanks Tal. Is Gerrel there?" Shepard spoke softly, his body rocking with a shudder of the Kodiak.

_"No, he just upped and left. Nobody's seen or heard from him since."_ Tali sighed. He smiled, visualising the way she gets frustrated. At home she'd pinch the bridge of her nose, but with a mask on she simply rubbed her palm over her glass visor's forehead. He brought his thoughts back to the present and to Gerrel's absence.

"Okay, well I'll be having a chat with him once we're back. I'll see you soon sweetheart."

_"Okay. Be careful."_

"You know me. I'm alwa-

The ground racing beneath them shook violently and a huge blinding bright light plumed behind them. Shepard along with the rest of the crew peered out the side of the hull, staring at the white light that erupted where the Geth consensus farm once was.

Shepard's heart ceased beating, holding its breath, along with the stunned silence that filled the Rannoch sky. As the white light faded and Shepard's blotchy vision transcended back to normal, a blossoming mushroom cloud of almost jet black rose from the shattered ground, like a rose bud of destruction.

A wave of sound rumbled across the land, blowing rusty dust up like a tsunami of sand. The ripple that expanded outwards suddenly hit the Kodiaks, blasting and shattering ear drums with a tectonic bang. The crews inside the Kodiaks slammed against the dented walls, blown off their feet. The Kodiaks in question began to spin wildly out of control, engines screaming in agony as they tore clean from the hull. Vein wires split and oil doused the flames that lapped along their titanium hulls.

Shepard grabbed onto the hand rail along with Garrus and Reegar, the Pilot having a large piece of jagged metal splintered through his glass visor.

Shepard managed to open his squinted eyelids, feeling the sclera's dry instantly from the heat of fire. The spinning nauseating view of sky then floor outside the Kodiak made his heart thump almost through his chest armor. Only mere seconds remained until they'd hit the sandy desert floor of Ranno-

...

* * *

**Authors notes: Oh no! What has happened here?! Hope you all like! See you in the next chapter where the plot really gets underway! Thank you so much for the favs and reviews so far! Keep it up guys, real moral booster! love you all! **

**-Dave**


	8. Chapter 8: Unthinkable

**Author's notes: Thank you for the reviews guys! Love to hear from you, and helps me shape the story with your input! So I watched the Season 4 finale of the Walking Dead and wow! It was awesome, some nice inspiration to write! **

**- Dave**

* * *

...

Silence filled the air as did the stench of burned flesh and scorched metal. The smell was strong and aggressive, assailing nostrils with violent tinges of horrid flavor. The torn leather skin from seats fluttered in the nuclear breeze. Kodiak corpses were smashed into the earthy ground, tearing the flesh of Rannoch's dry surface and letting oil bleed into the dry turf.

Chunks of metal littered the ground and smoke plumed upwards from the dull crackling of fire. Suddenly noise broke the deathly silence, shuffling metal. A large panel of dented hull bounced and finally fell forward as a hand pushed it away. A loud crash exploded across the land and an N7 armor clad man rolled out of the rib cage of broken Kodiak.

His face was gouged and stained with speckles of blood from the brow up. The iron tang of blood tasted against his lips as he spat a red glob into the dirt. Shepard groaned as he staggered up to his weak feet. A crackle of comm chatter hissed from the nearby secondary Kodiak crash. This one was in worse shape, rolled over and mangled into a dented cylinder. Shepard felt his face heat as the nearby crackling flames lapped upwards. He caught his breath, checking for injury. His right hand's knuckles ached and upon examination he felt woozy. Through the split in his glove was the red stained white bone of his knuckle, skin also split.

He gagged and felt his stomach constrict and spasm. He staggered to the side, dropping to his knees and allowing his aching stomach to empty its contents onto the floor. Shepard vomited, his throat on fire from the violent splurge. He coughed and wheezed, back arched. Several calming breaths managed to slow his rapid heartbeat. Cold sweat doused his bloodied forehead.

It wasn't the knuckle that made him react in such a way. It was what his peripheral had focused on. A Migrant fleet Marine beheaded by a stray blade of jagged Kodiak hull. Red blood clotted the dirt and soaked around the body.

Shepard stood up and peered over the crash site at the distance. A huge black mushroom cloud was slowly dispersing after the initial eruption. Shepard suddenly remembered. The bomb had detonated, destroying the Geth farm. With the loss of the Consensus, several thousand Geth would have been destroyed. Shepard's palms slid along his head, smearing blood.

"Jesus Gerrel, what have you done?" Shepard hissed, his eyes withholding fear. Kronos would be furious at this. It could mean total war.

"Argh! Shepard?!" a loud growl sounded, startling Shepard. He turned, eyes frantically scanning the disarray of shrapnel of ruined vehicles. The light was fading, meaning they'd been crashed for a few hours.

Shepard staggered forwards, coughing into his revealed knuckle, a sickly feeling retching up his neck. He reached the shuffling noise and peered in the mangled Kodiak, wires and broken metal hanging like cracked ribs and veins.

Suddenly a Quarian gloved hand slid out, pushing the metal away. Shepard stepped back as the gold and red clad Quarian rolled out onto the soft yet hard earth. He coughed and spluttered.

"Argh...Commander." Reegar sickly chuckled, sitting up with a groan. His mask was cracked but its integrity was holding. The gold cloth that wrapped his suit was frayed and torn. The red armor was silvering with scratches and dents.

"How...How are you...Reegar?" Shepard wheezed, slumping down the Kodiak hull.

"Well...I survived a crash caused by-" a loud cough rattled his throat interrupting his own sentence. "A bomb detonating. Yeah, I'm just grand." Reegar faintly chuckled, coughing again.

"You ill?"

"Nah, just a slight tear in the suit, I'll be fine. Hell, the amount'a shit I've gone through, I should be damn well immune to everything!" Kal'Reegar spluttered. Shepard scoffed with a smirk.

"Yeah, guess so." Shepard got up with a heaving groan, peering around the crash site, winds bellowing the smoke in different swirling directions. Ripped leather fluttered like torn flags. "Reegar, can you find a radio?" He asked with a wheeze. Reegar nodded, holding the back of his palm to his audio port, stifling a cough.

Shepard pushed a sheet of crinkled metal aside revealing the spluttering Turian beneath. Shepard sighed with heavy relief.

"Ah thank god. You okay Garrus?" he coughed, shielding his mouth. Garrus groaned with a weary nod, sitting up. Shepard patted his armored shoulder, hand feeling the divot of a dent.

"You?"

"Ah I'll survive." Shepard smirked. Garrus chuckled.

"Yeah, so the usual, huh?" The Turian wheezed. "What happened?"

"Gerrel must have detonated the bomb." Shepard coughed, blood speckling his hand.

"What? Why?!" Garrus said sharply, regretting the sudden jolt as pain shot up his side.

"No idea, but we'll find out when we get home. The Geth are gonna be furious." Shepard sighed, rubbing his brow.

"Another morning war if we don't act." Garrus howled as he held his aching side. Shepard nodded, listening to Reegar's inaudible speech over the hissing flames. Soon the limping Marine stepped over.

"Sir, It's Tali'Zorah." He handed the broken radio to Shepard.

"_John! John, are you okay, what happened?!"_ Tali barraged him in one earful.

"Tali, slow down sweetheart. We're...we're okay." He sighed, seeing Xen limp over from behind the Kodiak.

_"Keelah, don't do that to me!"_

"Sorry. We've lost all the Marines we were with. It's just me, Garrus, Xen and Reegar left." Shepard coughed heavily.

"_I'm sorry. We're sending a rescue team, I'll be with them."_

"Okay. Be safe." Shepard sighed, rubbing his aching temple.

"_You too." _She spoke softly, the communication cutting to static. Shepard peered around at the four of them.

"Xen, you okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Gerrel activated the bomb didn't he?" She sighed, looking at the fluffing black abyss of nuclear cloud. Shepard sighed heavily, slumping down to the floor.

"I don't see how it could be anyone else."

"Why...why would he? Why?" Reegar shrugged. Garrus tilted his head.

"He's a war fanatic, blew up a ship we were still on. He's not made for peace." Garrus growled. Everyone sat in stunned silence as the sun began to delve lower behind the mountains, an amber hue tainting the sky, painted with purples and reds.

...

Night time had set in; pitch black rolling around the crash site of tangled metal. A pile of dry grass and padding from the Kodiak seats sat in the middle of the group, kindling for the now flickering camp fire. The amber hue lit the small area of pitch black darkness. Shepard sat on the floor, one knee bent and hand resting on it. He ignored the lapping cold licking on his exposed bone.

Garrus was rasping, obviously injured on the nearby box. Xen and Reegar sat on the floor on the opposite side of the fire. Reegar was resting back on his propped up elbows. Xen hugged her knees.

"So, what do we do about Gerrel?" Garrus wheezed.

"No idea. I mean, do we stick him on trial?"

"We need to look at the proof, but yes, he'll have to be placed on trial, like Tali'Zorah." Xen spoke, making Shepard snarl, remembering that shambles of a trial. Guilty till proven innocent was how it felt.

"So? Any camp fire stories?" Shepard tried to liven the solemn mood. Xen peered at him, obviously a raised eyebrow at the Commander.

"Okay, okay, I've got one." Reegar groaned as he sat up. Xen shuffled over to see him properly. "So me and my team were on this desert planet, scouting for supplies for the fleet. Anyway, we were taking a break and there was this...dust devil, you know like a tornado-type-thing." Reegar tried to explain, Shepard nodding with a chuckle over the flames, shadows dancing across his face.

"So anyway, we're watching this tornado go across the dunes, and one of my men was drinking from his emergency rations. It was hot, and our induction ports were clean so we figures hey! Why not? So anyway, we're drinking and watching this twister when one of my guys-he's gets up, walks up to the twister and yells..."Have a drink!" and he chucks the bottle into the twister...and it never...hits...the ground." He slapped his palm to add emphasis. Xen chuckled faintly, shaking her head. Garrus was exhaling air through his nostrils with a laugh, Shepard smiling as he shook with quiet laughter.

"Okay I got the ball rolling, somebody else's turn. Commander, you gotta have some crazy story right?" Kal chuckled, wrists balanced on his knees. The group looked at him.

"Well..." Shepard tried to recount something from his long list of extraordinary scenarios.

"Well there was the time that Shepard fell through a fish tank." Garrus chuckled, smirking at him.

"What? You fell through a fish tank?!" Reegar laughed.

"Oh and the time that-"

"No see this...this is a tissue of lies, see there was another Shepard, an evil Shepard...and I killed him." Shepard shrugged, pure uninterrupted silence echoing until finally Garrus and Reegar burst out laughing.

"Hoorah Commander!" Reegar chuckled. Xen was quietly scoffing. Slowly the laughter died down.

"You notice...how all we talk about now is fighting? War?" Shepard sighed, prodding the stick at the fire, sparks spitting like confetti. Reegar and Garrus nodded.

"Its cause it's all we are. It's all I am. A soldier in peace time? Huh..." Reegar sighed. Garrus nodded.

"Yeah. Yet here we are, sat in a crash site caused by a bomb. Tsk, Peace time." Garrus scoffed sarcastically, shaking his head.

"We'll get there. Every soldier has baggage...nightmares...but its gets easier." Shepard smiled sadly to Reegar. "You're suffering from post traumatic stress, aren't you?" Reegar's eyes snapped up at Shepard's.

"Wha...How'd you know?" Kal asked, nervously shuffling.

"Saw you in the shuttle. The way you were shaking. After the Collector mission, the Reaper war, I was in the same position. I got help. Don't be afraid of that." Shepard smiled. Reegar sighed, nodding.

"It's...so damn hard. I mean, I just black out, and I'm back on Palaven, having to put down one of my own turned Reaper." He took a shaky inhale. "The nightmares, the struggle."

"You'll be fine, as long as you get help. What about Dr Elan'Shiya, that psychiatrist who was looking after Veetor?" Shepard asked, swirling his hand to recall his memory. Reegar shuffled uncomfortable at the name _Veetor_.

"I've...I've thought about it. But...I don't think I could tell her." He hugged his knees. Shepard looked at Garrus and Xen, all confused.

"Tell her what?" Xen asked. Kal took a deep inhale, holding it for quite some time before letting a shaky breath exhale. The glimmer of his audio port flickered.

"Veetor's dead. I...I...He...He was caught by the Reapers. I had to put him down on Palaven. H-He volunteered to come with us, to help his people, but Elan posed against it. Said he wasn't ready. I should have listened!" Reegar slapped his palms against his helmet. Shepard shuffled around the fire, hand on Reegar's shoulder. The broken Marine peered up.

"It wasn't your fault. One thing I learnt the hard way...is that you can't save them all." Shepard looked up a Garrus with a warm smile. "A certain Turian taught me that." Garrus nodded.

"So...you don't have nightmares anymore?" Reegar asked.

"Oh every night, but it's getting easier. Plus, I've got a certain _Ma'am_ helping me." Shepard smiled, Reegar scoffing. "When we get back, schedule a meeting with Elan, she'll help. And she'll understand about Veetor. For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Shepard smiled. Reegar nodded.

"Thanks...Shepard."

"Don't mention it." Shepard nodded, peering up at a snap. Suddenly a purple clad Quarian stepped into the light, sighing with relief.

"Keelah, you're okay!" She said with a happy whimper, engulfing Shepard in a tight embrace, pinning him to the ground. Shepard chuckled, hugging Tali tight.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too." Shepard smiled. Then a loud throat clear sounded, Xen coughing into her fist, her audio port shimmering.

"Beat it Xen, I'm retired technically." Shepard smirked, Tali immediately sitting up rigid.

"So, you all okay?" Tali spoke. Garrus nodded as he got up with a groan.

"Where's the rescue squad?" Garrus asked. Tali tilted her head to the dark distance.

"A pilot and a soldier; he's searching the outskirts. We can go as soon as you're ready." Tali stood up. Shepard sat down, smiling up at her as she paced around the fire to grab the crate Garrus was previously perched on.

"We'll get ready to go in just a mo-

"Well, well! Looky here boys! This lot fucked up bad!" a male voice growled as the cylindrical barrel of a gun pressed against Shepard's Temple. Suddenly the happiness vanished, like oxygen in a vacuum.

Two more male Quarian's entered, one grasping Xen's neck and slamming her mask down into the earth. Another grabbed Tali, hauling her to the ground. Garrus staggered back, receiving a shove from two more males. Reegar was pinned by the foot of another male Quarian.

These Quarian's were different from previous factions. They had no need for Enviro suits, obviously part of the savage faction. Their armor was adorned by trophies and skulls. Two of the men had large bleached animal rib cages attached to their chest armor.

"You killed a lot of our clan back there. Should'a known we'd find you." the male snarled behind Shepard, prodding his skull with the barrel. "We've managed to survive a_ long time_ living off others. Take their armor; take their food...their innocence." The man sinisterly whispered in Shepard's ear, obviously the clan leader. Shepard's expression turned deathly stern as he watched the male holding Tali intently. His heart throbbed and his stomach churned at what the Quarian meant.

"Get off me!" Tali squealed as the male pushed her into the dirt, grabbing at her flailing wrists.

"Stop your squirming. It'll only hurt more." He snarled, making Shepard almost retch. Tali punched and kicked but the man was stronger, maniacally laughing as he removed the helmet he wore, different color to the rest of the armor he wore. The stolen beige Marine helmet dropped on the floor and revealed the snarling male face beneath.

"We feed the rest of the tribe the herbs; keep the real food for us." The Chieftain holding a gun to Shepard's ear snarled. "You Geth lovers make me sick."

"Let em go." Shepard hissed. The man laughed.

"You're Commander Shepard right? The guy who made peace with the Geth, the machines that drove us to near extinction? We've been living here in hiding since the Morning war. Having to hide, on our own planet?" the chieftain snapped in Shepard's ear. "So here's what we're going to do _Commander_..." Shepard peered up at the man pinning Tali to the ground. Garrus was being beaten by two Quarian's. His swings met nothing only to receive a knock down by another punch. Garrus kept trying though, his face bloodied.

"First were gonna defile the girl, then the Admiral...and once we've killed you're friends, we're gonna kill you." He chuckled maniacally in Shepard's ear.

"Get off me!" Tali cried out, the Quarian pulling her thighs apart, trying to get beneath her suit. The hungry feral look in his eyes was terrifying. Shepard's eyes grew enraged, his lips pursed as heavy breath vented, anger bubbling.

"Let her go." He snarled over the Chieftains laughter. All the noise was drowned out in Shepard's burning hot ears.

_Nobody hurts Tali._

Shepard reached forward, grabbing a strip of burning wood from the fire, throwing it back into the Chieftain's exposed face. The sensitive Quarian skin sizzled and he staggered back. A tectonic bang from the pistol sounded right beside Shepard's right ear, a bullet sinking into the earth beneath him. The high pitched whine of the shot rang in his aching eardrums, the muffled world around him looking blurry. Before Shepard could climb to his feet to unleash a punch on the Quarian, he receive a gun butt to the nose, cracking the cartilage. Shepard fell back into the ground, his ringing ears still humming and his nose burning with pain. Soon his hearing returned, still slightly muffled. The sound of Tali's struggling cries, the cracking blows of punches to Garrus along with Xen and Reegar's attempts to get up.

"Oh this just got so much worse!" The Chieftain spat with flaring silver eyes, scorched skin on the right of his face, slamming a boot in Shepard's chin, rolling over from the force of the blow. Shepard dug his hands into the earth, clenching the dirt. He peered up with dazed eyes seeing the male pinning Tali down, laughing manically as he roamed his hands over her curves, the terrified tones of Tali's voice making Shepard shiver with horrific fear and fury.

He stood up, staggering towards Tali, the pain in his bones aching. Suddenly another blow to his ribs knocked him down. "Leave her alone!" he roared, the pain in his cracked ribs crying out in lactic agony. Tali tried to fend the man off but he was too strong. She felt something stiff brush against her thigh and her fight or flight ability shattered. Shepard got up, lunging but the Chieftain grappled him, holding him back.

"Get a good look Shepard. You're Quarian slut is never gonna forget this." he snarled. Shepard kept pushing against the Chieftain.

"Leave her be!"

"Or what? Huh? What are you gonna do now?!" The Chieftain taunted. All of the fury in Shepard sunk into his clenched jaw, the desperation in his eyes turned to savage anger. The seething fury, clenched dentures, lips flaring and stringy saliva swaying in his hissing breath. Seeing Tali pinned to the floor by some sick rapist, Garrus being beaten to death, Shepard's "fight or flight" senses kicked in. "What are you gonna do, huh?!"

He suddenly clamped his jaws down on the exposed neck of the Quarian Chieftain. Grey skin pierced and veins plucked against his dentures as he tore the Quarian's throat out. A savage eruption of gore sprayed from his ravaged neck as Shepard pulled away in a violent motion, flesh hanging from his clenched teeth. Strands of veins swayed and a hose of ripped Jugular tethered and snapped from his neck's innards. Hellish gore stained Shepard's face as he spat the clump of neck flesh onto the ground in a spray of saliva and horrible tangy Quarian blood. The man choked and spluttered as he dropped to his knees with a muffled thump. His armor and cloth clotted dark red as his neck gushed over his body, finally tilting to his side and dropping dead.

Everyone stopped in stunned silence looking at Shepard, the feral look in his eyes terrifying. He stood motionless, eyeing his next target, the Quarian kneeling over Tali. Tali's hidden eyes, filled with fearful tears settled on the monstrous action Shepard had just committed.

Xen took the moment to unsheathe her shin knife and roll over, jamming it deep into the Quarian male's temple with a pop. The captor fell back with a slump. Reegar reached forward, the knee firmly planted beneath his shoulder blades aching into his spine. His hands slid through the dirt and reached Xen's shotgun. He rolled over sharply, knocking the captors knee off his back. As he staggered, Reegar's shotgun met his face, blasting a handful of shrapnel into his nasal. The skull erupted and blood splayed outwards. The body fell back and Reegar was up in seconds.

Garrus managed to get up despite his injuries, sifting his hand through the dirt till he picked up a jagged piece of Kodiak metal. He grabbed one of the Quarian's bare shoulders, pulling himself up and driving the metal deep into the flesh of his chin, scraping the Adam's apple. The male spluttered as his blood poured over Garrus's hand and falling onto the bleached ribcage trophy attached to his armor.

Garrus shoved the body away despite the lactic burn in his bicep. He spun around only to see the other assaulter dead with a shotgun wound to the exposed chest. Reegar gave him a breathless nod.

The last Quarian, stood over Tali, got up and backed away, his nerves on fire with fear. Reegar started aiming when Shepard placed a palm on the barrel, lowering it.

"No. He hurt Tali. He's _mine_." Shepard snarled, Quarian blood dripping off his stubble. He looked terrifying, eyes filled with anger and feral revenge. He paced towards the Quarian, the male's grey skinned back pressing against the tip of a piece of jagged metal from the hull. He stopped as soon as he felt the prod on his lower spine. A gulp and tremble hit his words.

"L-Look, I'm sorry, we can work this ou-

Shepard shoved his shoulders, sending the man staggering back until the jagged metal pierced the front of his chest, going straight through his torso like he was made of soft butter. Blood spat out from the sudden penetration of metal and a few ragged gasps later, his head dropped to his chest, lifeless and speared by metal, holding the body upright.

Shepard sighed and caught his breath, the heaving thumping rhythm of his heart rattling his fractured ribs. He calmed his senses and turned to see a limping Garrus walking over, fractured face plates and mandibles. Tali sat up on her propped elbows, her breathing ragged and labored with fear. Reegar helped Xen up.

Shepard paced over to Tali, offering his hand. She shielded herself from his movements, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's me. Tali, it's me." He said softly, dropping to his knees. Tali nodded, stifling her tears. She got up and walked away hugging herself. Luckily the male hadn't gotten into her suit or touched her too horribly. She wasn't bruised as far as she could feel, but the memories hurt. The one's that scared her the most, involved Shepard ripping the throat out of the Quarian male with his bare teeth. She found a quiet place behind the Kodiak and dropped to the floor, sobbing.

...

The silence was harrowing, haunting, terrifying. Only the lone shrilling caw of a Rannoch Crow filled the air, echoing and reverberating off the canyon walls like the screams of so many. Organic and Synthetic screams still rattling in his ears.

Sat with arched back against the tattered hull of Kodiak was Shepard, his face drenched red with blood of different shades, both dry and fresh. A metallic tang hit his taste buds as the iron in the blood trickled into the crease of his lips. Both Quarian and human blood covered him. His armour was torn and scolded. Metal gouges bent outwards and white translucent Geth fluid dripped from his ravaged left shoulder Pauldron. The white and red of his N7 armor turned hellish gore as the blood trickled within the fine division of colors. His eyes were glazed and distance, his wrists balanced on his pulled up knees. A split along his glove revealed the whiting bone of his revealed knuckle. His fingers shook violently, his quaking eyes set on nothing, simply staring into an abyss of memory. His skin left heavy lines of itching as hot blood trickled down his scalp.

The only sounds to be heard were the creaking of ravaged metal, the howling winds echoing through the metal carcass and the static radio fuzz.

"She...Shepa...Do you-r-r-r-read? She-Shepard?" the radio crackled in the accented voice of Shala'Raan, but he didn't hear it, only the high pitch whine that filled his drums an hour prior.

Garrus limped over to the radio as the morning fog rolled in, sunlight of amber glow rising into the sky. He picked it up.

"This is Garrus. Yeah, we're all fine. Need a secondary Evac though. A group of savage tribe leaders attacked us last night, must have been stalking us since the base exploded. What? Yeah the base is gone. We believe that Han'Gerrel blew it up. Wait...hang on...no-" Garrus argued as he walked off behind the Kodiak.

Shepard looked to his left, Reegar bent down next to Tali. He had both hands on her shoulders, giving her reassuring words.

"Honestly Kal, I'm fine. H-He didn't touch me anywhere...well...he didn't...c-can we not talk about it?" Tali spoke, thanking the ancestors for her suit to protect her body.

Reegar and Garrus had removed the bodies and disposed of them behind the furthest Kodiak wreck. Both were still in shock at Shepard's feral actions. _He tore a man's throat out with his teeth. _

Shepard caught Tali's gaze and smiled warmly, though she shuddered, looking down, fidgeting with her hands. He sighed, fear gripping his chest.

_I scared her. Of course you did, you ripped a Quarian's throat out! What sort of animal are you?! No, I did the right thing, to save her, I had no other option._

Shepard looked down at his feet. Suddenly two Quarian feet entered his view. He peered up and saw Tali crouched before him. She soaked some water onto a rag and after a few flinches and pull backs, she finally dabbed his cheek, the water letting the dry blood rub away. As she grew more comfortable, she gently rubbed and smoothed the cloth over his face, the white rag staining red. As she finished cleaning his face, he smiled at her with glazed eyes. She dropped the rag, tilted her head.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly. He sniffed.

"What I did last night. I...I don't know-sniff-I don't know what came over me. Seeing you in that way, being groped...be-being touched that way." He brought his gloved hand up, pressing the back of it over his mouth as a stray salty tear ran down his cheek, turning red as it carved a line through what was left of the blood. He clenched the fist and brought it down, the whiting bone more prominent within the tensed hand. The fist fell down into his lap and his quivering lip made Tali's eyes water.

"I did what I had to do, and I-I...I scared you...and I'm s-s-sorry for that. B-B-But I had no choice. T-They-he-he was hurting you, and I _had_ to stop him-them." he paused to calm his quaking breath. "I couldn't stop him quick enough. Seeing you getting hurt, it brought back my fears I felt during the war, my Gorilla state of mind. Fight or flight." His head fell into his palms, embarrassed. Tali sighed, watching him, seeing him this way, she knew that he was still the same loving man. It clicked in her mind why he was upset. He was _scared_; scared of her leaving, of being afraid of him.

"Hey." She spoke, words softer than silk. Her hand brushed his scalp and he peered up, eyes raw and gloves damp. He sniffed. "You _did_ scare me. But you are _not_ going to lose me, okay?" she smiled, gloved thumb rubbing his cheek. He scoffed a relief filled sigh, bringing a hand up to hold hers.

"I love you Tali, _that's _why I did it. I love you." He muffled into her hand as he kissed the gloved palm.

"I love you too." She smiled warmly through her mask.

Shuttle's inbound." Garrus spoke from the sidelines. Shepard and Tali scoffed a laugh as they pressed foreheads.

* * *

**Author's notes: So, what did you think of that? Very Walking Dead inspired, I know. I had the idea to help progress this plot's sub plot. Will Tali be scared of Shepard? Find out next time! **

**-Dave**


	9. Chapter 9: Last Pale Light in the West

"_What transpires within the next few hours will stay between you, your men and me Kal, do I make myself clear?"_

"_Crystal Admiral Xen, I'll ready my team, Ma'am."_

...

Four days had elapsed since the destruction of the Geth consensus farm. Heated words between Kronos had been spewed, the word "War" coming up several times. The huge Geth Prime left quickly without a backward turn. Gerrel had been placed under arrest and held till a trial date could be set. Tali had been helping calming the Quarian people and the Geth, tensions more thin that a string of cotton. All it'd take is one false move to snap that string and send Rannoch into another destructive war.

Reegar was currently seeing Elan for therapy. Garrus was healing and on his way back to the Citadel, having to tell the Council about the events that transpired. Xen was already straight back into hiding, working on the Overlord information.

Shepard was still battling with his mind. Vivid images of that Quarian pinning Tali down, having to tear a man's throat out with his own teeth to save her. He didn't regret killing those men, secretly he enjoyed it. But the way Tali flinched from him...it hurt him deeper than any blade could puncture. He lay in their bed wide awake as the sunlight of early morning crept in, sheets coiled around him. Tali's side was pealed open and she was nowhere to be seen.

Shepard scrubbed his face of sleep, facial hair bristling against his hands. He sighed heavily, shaking his head as he sat up. His skin was scarred and Raan's job of stitching his wounds wasn't as good as Chakwas. But it'd do and he appreciated her care. Tali spent the earlier nights crying, trying to get over being touched that way. In one instant, Shepard asked to kiss her. She normally wouldn't expect him to ask, but given the circumstances, she was pleased that he did. To lunge into a kiss would terrify her. Just as their lips pressed gently, she burst into tears slapping his shoulders and shuffling away. He tried to help, but she needed to get over it her own way.

He swiveled out of bed, looking out the already opened curtains. On the brink of war, and here he was sleeping. It suddenly dawned that it was no longer all resting on _his _shoulders. He'd done his part to stop the Reapers, and in doing so expected everyone to flock to him. His bare feet pressed against the cold floorboards.

After getting up, making the bed and getting dressed, he headed downstairs. With a slight gallop he landed on the bottom step, looking at the empty living area. He raised an eyebrow.

_No Tali here. _

"Hey, Tali?" He called through the house.

"In the Kitchen!" called her response, without the synthesized affliction her mask gave. A sigh of relief and he walked into the kitchen, the bright white of the clean kitchen blinding him momentarily. She was stood at the sink, wearing her Enviro-suit clad in purple cloth wraps, Zorah swirls adorning her curves. Her hood was down and her grey skinned soft face was focused on her hands in the soapy water. The long black hair tumbled down her shoulders.

He approached, slowly wrapping his arms around her gently. She tensed at first but softened into him.

"Hey." He whispered. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm getting there. I know I'm safe, and that Bosh'tet never got to touch me...in that way anyw-

"Hey, no more talk about them. We're going to be fine, okay?" He kissed her cheek, the soft flesh squishing under his firm lips. She cooed, giggling slightly.

"Yeah." she smiled. His kisses deepened as he pecked along her jaw line. "John!" She giggled, squirming at the soft attention. His kisses trickled down her jaw and to her neck. "John." She gulped, heart beginning to thump with each kiss approaching her neck.

_Teeth savagely tore through flesh, ripping out skin and jugular. _

She gulped harder, breath becoming terrifyingly ragged. "John." She said slightly harder. His soft loving kisses neared her throat.

_Sprays of thick gore erupted from the Quarian's neck as he choked, Shepard spitting out a chunk of flesh and veins. _

Finally the sensation of his loving lips sucking on her sensitive skin touched her jugular. She spun around sharply, shoving him away with wet sopping hands. "Shepard, enough!" she screamed. He staggered back against the fridge, eyes wide. She leaned against the sink, breathing heavy, bare hands placed over her neck, water trickling down it. The sensation of water rolling made her think of the blood, so much blood.

There were two sets of eyes in the Kitchen. One was full of pure fear, the other of shock and hurt. Tali's shallow breaths calmed and she wiped the tears from her eyes. Shepard's mouth was slack and his lips dry. His lids never blinked as he watched Tali's fearful eyes. His Adam's apple bounced in heavy gulps.

"Tali...It's me, how can you think...I-I'd never..." he stepped towards her, hand stretched out. To his horror, she stepped away, flinching. His hand dropped and he watched her eyes, those once love filled eyes now glazed with fear. Fear **of** him. Of the monster that lurks within every military man.

"We're going to be okay, right?" He asked. He watched her reaction for a long time, for any sign of tell.

"I...I don't know." She lowered her head, chest heaving with fear. Shepard's lips tightened into a snarl and he stormed out of the room. She flinched at the sudden bang of a slamming front door. She slid down the table side, hugging her legs. She quickly released her legs to pull her hood up over her head, tightly tugging in the sides. The darkness of the inside of the hood in her peripheral gave her safety.

Shepard stormed to the garage, opening the door. He was running on fury.

_How dare those savages affect the love of my life, __**my**__ life like this! If they hadn't of shown up, we'd still be fine! The sick fuckers touched her! Now she's scared of __**me**__, because of __**them**__. _

Shepard opened the sky car like a clam, reaching in for the glove box. With a firm punch it fell open, revealing a folded paper map of the continent.

"Eastern Canyon, where are you?" He mumbled in fury, his jaw clenching and unclenching. His sandpaper skinned finger traced across the paper, landing with a tap on the canyon in question. "There you are." He snarled with gritted teeth. He walked around the candy red sky car to his workshop table, grabbing his mattock rifle. With a slap to the side the old Thermal clip fell out and he replaced it with a new one, shoving a couple more in his jeans pocket. His grey T shirt still had wet Quarian hand prints on each shoulder, soaked dark grey. His mind however was soaked with images of the savages, harming Tali. Who else had they harmed?

_No more._

Shepard got in the sky car, chucking the folded Mattock onto the passenger's seat. He slammed the door and took off, a loud thrumming sounding as it shot off out of the garage into the morning sky.

In the house Tali sighed heavily, sniffing her tears away. She still loved him, of course she did, but after seeing him rip another man's throat out with his own teeth, the primeval urge to protect herself took over, and she _was_ scared. Not of his soft personality, of the monster that lurks in any solder that had seen what Shepard had, been in the fights he had.

_Once he comes home, we'll talk about this. We'll be fine...right?_

...

Noon was blisteringly hot. Out in the eastern canyon, the small tribe of huts made of _Har'Nola _Mammoth hides and rib bones littered the small area. Quarian helmets were on spikes and so were Geth heads. Hydraulic fluids dripped from the heads.

The Savages feasted like animals, teeth tearing at the bloodied flesh of a Migrant fleet Marine that they'd killed a few days ago. Blood stained their lips, one male peering up to sniff the air at the new scent. A loud crackle echoed and a Kodiak shuttle arrived over the mountain, turning towards the camp. The males snarled and hissed, standing up and tilting heads. Their movements were almost Husk-like.

The Kodiak lowered outside the camp, dust bellowing upwards. The male Savages shielded their bare faces as dust hit them hard. Their squinted silver eyes opened as ten Migrant fleet Marines emerged rifles in hand. A red and gold clad Marine emerged, head held low, hands behind his back. The purple visor peered up, eyes menacing.

"You attacked a consensus farm, attacked some good people, some good friends!" Kal'Reegar announced over the roar of the powering down Kodiak. He peered up from his pacing. "That's unacceptable."

The savages hissed, having lost all understanding of human interaction. Reegar sighed, rubbing the temple of his helmet.

"One of yours also tried to _rape_ one of my closest friends." Kal pointed an accusing finger at the camp of savages. "_That_ is _unacceptable_. And in so, by order of the Admiral Daro'Xen Vas Moreh, you are hereby sentenced to death for crimes against Quarian and Geth kind." Reegar removed his pistol stepping forward. The Savages saw only a threat and roared, lunging forward. Kal snarled his lip. "Kill em."

_In my hands, I hold the ashes__  
__In my veins, black pitch runs__  
__In my chest, a fire catches__  
__In my way, a setting sun__  
__Dark clouds gather 'round me__  
__To the west, my soul is bound__  
__And I will go on ahead, free__  
__There's a light yet to be found_

The entire Marine force opened fire, dousing the savages in a spray of gunfire. The bodies fell back, covered in bullet wounds. Red stained the ground. One savage got through the cloud of dirt, lunging at Kal. The Marine snarled as he stepped towards the beast, igniting his Omni blade and swinging sharply, slicing across the Savage's chest, severing vital organs. The body fell past him, dropping lifelessly. The Marines moved into the camp, attacking the males and aggressive females. Whatever made them Quarian no longer resided within them. They were only monsters.

_The last pale light in the west__  
__The last pale light in the west_

Savage Quarian's leaped on the suited Marines, only to receive a rifle butt to the head and a flash of muzzle fire to the cerebrum, painting the ground red. Kal'Reegar paced along the outskirts, pistol in hand as he watched. Marines beat the feral Quarian's down, unloading bullets into them. The world seemed to slow down, recoil now soft shoves instead of fast violent punches to the shoulder.

_And I ask for no redemption__  
__In this cold and barren place__  
__Still I see the faint reflection__  
__And so by it, I got my way_

Incendiary rounds were used, igniting the huts in blazes of white hot fire. Screams were halted as gunfire rattled across the valley. Some huts exploded and some flames turned vibrant red as the herbs set on fire, burning up the pollen that affects their brains so deeply. Thanks to their mask filters, the Marines were safe from any kind of inhalation.

_The last pale light in the west__  
__The last pale light in the west_

Kal stood on the outskirts, back turned to the burning tribe's camp. Black plumes choked the air, and crackling fire rattled in the silent air. The occasional howl of inhuman Savages filled the air, only to be quickly silenced with a bang of a Carnifex. Reegar bent down, gloved hand scrunching a handful of ash. He lifted the burnt mixture of Quarian dust and hut ash.

_In my hands, I hold the ashes__  
__In my veins, black pitch runs__  
__In my chest, a fire catches__  
__In my way, a setting sun__  
__Dark clouds gather 'round me__  
__To the west, my soul is bound__  
__And I will go on ahead, free__  
__There's a light yet to be found_

Kal peered up with an emotionless snarl at a limping Savage, picking up a discarded gun. The creature gripped it like a block, trying to understand it, even banging it against a rock. Kal tightened the ash until it compacted and fell between the fingers in clumps of clotted ash. He paced slowly towards the hissing Quarian. Silver eyes held nothing more than feral hunger, the Herbs they lived off having destroyed whatever made them intelligent, now mindless animals. It was obvious the clan leaders they killed last night built the camps and simply used them to hold these creatures, like animals in a pen.

_And I ask for no redemption__  
__In this cold and barron place__  
__Still I see the faint reflection__  
__And so by it, I got my way_

He pressed the barrel to the monster's forehead and pulled the trigger without a second thought. Having survived the impossible, the Reapers, he'd become emotionally numb to combat, simply blocking it all out and relying on instinct. Kal'Reegar's post traumatic stress was ravaging his mind. He turned from the convulsing corpse on the ground and looking at the pillars of black smoke rising from the destroyed tribe. Migrant fleet Marine's killed the last of the savages, throwing corpses into the flames, dusting off palms. Reegar sighed, sheathing his pistol. He turned his head and watched the winds take the smoke over the mountains in wisps of black soot.

"Fall in! We're heading back. Savage's are finished. They're not going to harm our people or the Geth any longer." Kal gestured towards the shuttle, eyes set like stone on the burning tribe.

The last pale light in the west  
The last pale light in the west

...

An hour of driving had past and Shepard was finally calm. He sighed, stopping the sky car. As the engines ceased and a thump felt as he landed it, he peered over at the passenger seat, the crumpled map over the folded up Mattock rifle. He sighed with aggression as he scrubbed his face with his palms. He quickly slammed his palms down on the steering wheel. Repeatedly he took slapping blows to the wheel. His gritted teeth softened and he began to sob, eyes shut tight. His sobbing head fell forward slowly, pressing his forehead against the wheel rim, tears splashing against the polymer of the dashboard. He gripped the steering wheel till his skin taught white, and the stitches to his knuckle threatened to split. His sobs and retching gasps escaped till his back arched.

"What was I about to do? Go and slaughter a fucking tribe?!" Shepard gasped. "Kill a whole group for the actions of a few? What happened to you John? You used to fight stuff like this, not become part of it." He hissed at himself. He looked up with his bleary eyes. Sniffs escaped his nostrils.

"Tali..." He wailed, punching the steering wheel with a fit of burning fury, one punch, two punches, his hand aching and red with flushed blood.

_How do I help her?_

He dropped his head back to the steering wheel, tears falling from his face to his boots with an audible splat.

_You talk to her, not go off to execute a whole tribe. Turn around and go home. Go to her._

Shepard's conscience slowly began to return, his dull senses starting to flare up with tingling sensations, his guilt lifting like a veil of self hate, letting the rays of love shine through. He needed to help _her_, not himself with acts of stupid revenge. He nodded, sniffing and wiping his eyes clear, restarting the sky car and lifting into the air, spinning it around to go home, to be with his beloved Quarian.

...

Reegar sat in the shaking Kodiak, his hands turning over to reveal the bloodied palms, stained with the gore of an entire people. He suddenly had an undying respect for Shepard, who always had the blood of a whole people on his hands, never being washable for as long as he may live. Reegar dropped the trembling palms; he stared forward at the other Marines, all chatting and nodding in inaudible speech. Recruits, rookies, they had no idea what loss is, what war is. Reegar sighed heavily, hands pressed over his visor as his labored breathing ached in a mild panic attack. He removed his palms, seeing the blood stained palm prints on his glass mask. His breathing became heavier and he clutched at his chest.

Quickly Reegar sealed his helmet allowing it to flood with Carbon Dioxide. The hot air became easier to breath and his lungs soon soothed. Finally he regained composure, peering around at all the Quarian masks watching him.

"Hey, eyes to yourselves!" Reegar sighed, lowering his head, eyes set on the blood palms printed on his mask.

...

Xen sat in her office, looking at the Overlord V.I she'd manifested within her computer. The monitor flickered green. The wires linked to the head of the Geth called Jor currently placed on the table crackled and the darkness of the room was lit up as the optic in the amputated Geth head rotated, the aperture lens adjusting to the peripheral. The eye soon lit up a lime green and Xen leaned forward, eyes wide with pride. The Geth eye peered left and right.

Xen snapped her fingers to the left and the eye followed. She did the same on the right, eye darting over to that side. She smirked at her work, shutting down the program, the Geth head dulling as the light vanished. She got up, grabbing her blunt chalk and scribbling on whatever available space she had left on her walls.

...

Kronos stood in the fallout of the Geth Consensus Farm, charred ground and destroyed technology splayed everywhere. His radiation counter clicked and whirred constantly, enough radiation here to kill an organic. The huge Geth Prime walked around through the ash filled ruins.

Frozen corpses of ash stood in running poses. The elongated heads and flayed head flaps meant these were Geth units, caught in the explosion. Hundreds of them, either still in pods or caught in the blast, all encased in ash, same for the Savage Quarian remains. He walked through the frozen crowd of death, hoping to hear the digital chatter of his people, only deafening silence meeting his audio receivers.

The trio of red optics upon his head flared and darted back and forth across the land, head flaps lowered into an angered brow. His synthetic fists, double the size of an Organics' trembled tightly, the polymer of his palms denting from the pressure. To his left was the kneeling ash body of a Quarian. Kronos blared a digital cry and swung his fist, smashing the ash body into a spray of dark confetti.

The Geth Prime dropped to his knees with a thud, looking up at the winter flurry of darkened ash; hundreds of Geth remains encased in ash standing around him, forever cast in a fearful run for their lives. Unable to let their software flee, the hardware was their only hope to outrun the horror. Kronos looked over the ruins of the Consensus Farm.

_The word Creator does not seem fitting...no..._

"Destroyer Gerrel." Was all he muttered, head flaps lowered into a furious brow, red optics flaring brightly.

...

Tali sat on the sofa at home, idly playing with her hands. Her mind raced. _What if Shepard never comes back? What if my being scared has ruined everything? What have I to be scared of? Come back to me..._

She snapped her head up as the front door softly opened, closing with a gentle thud. She fidgeted until she saw Shepard in the door frame, eyes raw. She got up, nervously approaching him. He sighed, slowly walking into the living room. Slowly and reluctantly she neared him. He stood still, towering over her, eyes fixated on her beautiful face.

"I'm sorry I left like that." He muttered.

Her heart was beating up her throat, reverberating in her mouth. She swallowed the ridiculous fear and reached a hand out, bravely and slowly pressing it to his cheek. He cooed and dropped his head into her palm, her silky smooth skin brushing over his rough stubble. A stray tear squeezed out from his closed eyes.

"I can't lose you." He whispered with a tremble. Tali softened at his words. "I'm not the monster I once was. Whatever I was when I survived Akuze, the hollow man that left that grave, he died when he met you. You filled the hole that was my heart. You always have. Seeing you like that days ago, being hurt...my Akuze state of mind flared. But...to have you leave and reopen that hole...it's be too much to bear." Shepard cried. Tali looked at him, taking in the power and emotion of his loving words. "I love you."

She immediately lunged, pressing her lips firmly to his. The moans that escaped them were heavy with passion. She sucked on his lips and finally peeled away, both gasping for air.

"I love you too."

"But...are you going to be..."

"I'm not thinking about anything but right now, just us. I love you Jonathan Shepard." She smiled warmly. Shepard scoffed a smile.

"I love you too. Tali'Zorah." He pressed lips with her again, savoring the feeling of being back together. She wrapped her arms around his neck. The kisses became more aggressive, fighting for dominance, tongues dancing with one another. Her hand ran up over his prickly scalp, savoring the raspy touch, other hand resting on his chest. Shepard gently pushed her, lips parting and gasping.

"Tali...are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. You still are and always will be the same man I fell for. What you did in that desperate moment, you did to _save me_, why would _you ever_ hurt me?" She kissed him again. "Of course I'm sure."

He kissed her again; moaning into each other's slapping mouths. Hands explored their bodies. For a moment Tali's mind flickered with lightning flashing images of the monster that attacked her, but they were becoming fainter and weaker, losing their hold on her. It passed when she remembered who her lips were warmly suckling: Shepard, the man who would do anything to keep her alive, to keep her safe. They could never hurt them again, and she smiled into his mouth as his hand roamed up the side of her thigh, meeting her rear and gently squeezing the shapely flesh molding beneath his palm.

"I love you so much Tali." He said between kisses as she pressed against him.

"I know, and I'll never forget it, or push you away. Now let's forget about it all, and make some more happy memories, mmm?" She smiled at him, pressing swollen lips firmly against his.

"Sounds perfect." Shepard moaned happily as he squeezed her firm yet soft rear. With a squeal from her, he scooped her up, a hand under her knees and one on her back. She cupped his chin, kissing him passionately.

He began walking up the stairs slowly, holding her in his arms, kisses passionately passing between them. They were on the mend to recovery and back on their path to happiness.

...

Gerrel sat in his dark, dank prison cell, the only light coming through the slits in the prison bars, flared rays of dusty light casting slithers of white on the metal grated floor. His mask tilted up from his chest at the prison cell door. One thing kept passing through his mind. One thing that would carry him for as far as it could:

_I didn't do it. Xen did._

* * *

**Authors notes: A very different emotional Chapter, focusing on many characters. The song used is "Last pale light in the west." Kronos want's Gerrel's head, Gerrel is convinced he knows who activated the Bomb, Reegar's stress is getting worse, Xen is making the VI but at least Shepard and Tali are happy again. :) I'd really like some feedback on this chapter, see what you thought of it. Thanks!**

**-Dave**


	10. Chapter 10: Red in my Ledger

**Author notes: Well here's some well needed fluff before Gerrel's trial. Then the plot will really start to take a kick in. Enjoy guys, and I'd like to thank Rogen80, Kal'Reeger and so many others for your helpful reviews! Gives me the strength to carry on with this, keep it up guys! ****-Dave**

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...

Slowly her eyelids fluttered open, her mind foggy with the still heavy cloud of sleep. A yawn stretched her lips and her tongue curled with the sensation of cold air flowing down her throat, exhaling in a warm sigh. Black raven hair ruffled and splayed across the plump pillow under her head. The high thread count pillows and sheets rubbed against her bare grey skin, the sensation tickling every nerve end of her highly sensitive body.

A cold breeze licked her skin and she shuddered, pulling her knees up into a fetal position, a stirring behind her and warmth on her stomach reminder her of the night before. She smiled warmly as Shepard's body heat pressed against her soft back. His loose arm over her stomach pulled her in closer and he nuzzled her hair, sniffing her fragrance as he began to wake.

"Mmm. I've missed this." He sighed contently. She smiled sadly, rolling over in his arms, her bare breasts pressed against his scarred chest.

"Me too." She stroked his forehead, swiping away a small black string of fabric from the pillow caught in his brow. He pulled her in tighter, Tali melting into his torso. Slowly their heads touched, lips softly pressing in a loving kiss. Tali moaned slightly and her free hand caressed his cheek. She and he gently peeled their lips apart, smiling at each other.

"You're okay? I-I hope I didn't rush things with you last night." He sighed, guilty at how fast the passionate fire of fervor had spread through the bedroom. She chuckled softly, still running the pad of her soft thumb over his sandpaper textured skin.

"You didn't. I was ready. I needed you back, and I am so sorry I was scared of you. It was so stupid!" she snarled at herself, Shepard chuckling at her scrunched brow and pouting frown.

"It was anything but stupid. I'm sorry you had to see that...that side of me, the side I thought I'd left on Akuze. But...seeing you getting hurt and some guy holding me back from helping? I-I..." She pressed a grey skinned finger to his lips.

"Shh. Yes, it was very scary seeing you...rip...a man's throat out like that. But...you did for me, to help me. I can't think of anyone who would do that to help me." Tali smiled. Shepard scoffed a faint laugh.

"Yeah, I guess it is romantic." He smirked, Tali shaking in his arms with laughter.

"Not exactly the word I'd use, but yes. Thank you, for saving me." she pressed her lips to his softly.

"I just wish I could have got to you faster."

"Hey, I'm fine. That Bosh'tet didn't get as far as he thought." She muttered. "I'm a tough girl." she smirked, fidgeting in his arms as they lay between bed and sheets.

"That you are." His eyes suddenly widened and he smiled. "Hey, let's do something today; heaven knows we could use a pick-me-up." He beamed at her. Tali raised an eyebrow, the black marking lines that ran up her forehead from her eyebrows creased.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Well Gerrel's trial is not till tomorrow, right?" He asked, Tali nodding, her silver eyes widely set on his. "So why don't we go out, have dinner, maybe go dancing?" He said, struggling to keep a straight face on the last part. Tali outright laughed. "What, my dancing skills are the best in the Galaxy!" Shepard sarcastically chuckled, Tali heaving with laughter wrapped in his arms.

"Joh-John, oh Keelah, you may be the best on the battlefield, but I've got you beat on the dance floor." She smirked, wiping a tear from her still laughing face. Shepard raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Is that so?" He smirked.

"Oh, a Volus could dance better than you." she chuckled. Shepard startled her when he pulled her in tight, tickling her bare skin sides. She shrieked with laughter, kicking and squirming under the sheets.

"Oh yeah? I'm a bad dancer huh?" He smiled happily at how the girl of his dreams was laughing uncontrollable in his arms, his fingers plucking along her sensitive skin sending her into a tickled sensory overload.

"Joh-John! Ah! She-Shepard please!" she giggled at his touch. Finally he relented when she rolled on top of him, straddling his waist and pinning his shoulder against the bed. Her tangled mess of bed hair fell over her grey skinned shoulders.

"Pinned you." She smirked, hair falling onto his face as she lowered herself. He acted quickly, grasping her shoulders and rolling her, but she rolled again and they fell to the wooden floor in a cocoon of bed sheets. Shepard groaned but still laughed as Tali pressed his shoulders into the cold floor.

"Pinned you_ again_!" she smirked, heaving out of breath. Shepard wrapped his arms around her, covered in warm bed sheets still, pulling her down on top of him. She pressed against his chest, feeling the heaving of his torso and faint chuckling vibrating through his muscles. His calloused thumb brushed the ruffled locks out of her silver eyes and she peered up at him, chin resting atop his collar bone.

"I love you." He smiled, rubbing her cheek.

"I love you too." She caught his hand, smoothing her thumb over his stitched knuckles.

"So, dinner and a night out?" Shepard grinned. Tali rolled her silver pupils, smirking.

"I'd love to. I'll get dressed." She pushed up from his chest, standing in her stark naked beauty.

"Or...you _could _go like that, I mean _I'd_ enjoy the view, so would everyone else." He chuckled, watching her blush and shake her head.

"You already get enough of a view, and besides, I'm sure if they won't let a suited Quarian in most places, a streaking one will be downright thrown out!" she smiled, swaying into the on-suite. The door shut and Shepard laid his head back with a dull thud, smiling at the ceiling.

"We're gonna be fine." He chuckled, rolling over and getting up to make the bed and get dressed.

...

An hour or so later, and Tali emerged in her Enviro-suit, hood pulled down and hair neatly brushed and slightly curled at the ends. Since she'd gotten her home world back, and a boyfriend to show it to, she'd been working on different hairstyles. A little more freedom to her appearance was always appreciated in the life of a Quarian.

She walked over to the full body mirror in the corner of the bedroom, smoothing out the creases in her skin tight suit. The cloth wraps that adorned her body were pressed and crisp. She tightened the wraps that coiled around her mid thighs and adjusted the belts under her chest. She leaned forward slightly, raking gloved fingers through her hair and fluffing it slightly.

"Well, don't _you_ look gorgeous?" Shepard rhetorically smiled, leaning against the door frame. Tali blushed a smile and stood up straight, hands flattening over her curves.

"Don't know why it matters. A helmet will mess it up anyway." She shrugged, turning towards him.

"Don't worry about it. One day you'll be able to walk this world, any world without one." He pulled her in, arms around her waist. "In the meantime, I get to see the love of my life in skin tight Enviro-suits." He chuckled as she swatted his shoulder.

"You pervert." She smiled as he leaned in, kissing her on the lips. She pushed back gently, placing her gloved palms on his shoulders, balling up the leather of his jacket. The kiss intensified with fervor, Shepard pulling back leaving Tali slightly woozy.

"Whoa...Kee...Keelah, where did that come from?" She caught her breath and calmed the aching between her legs. Shepard shrugged, smiling.

"Just glad we're both happy...we are, right?" he asked with a gulp. Tali cupped his cheek and kissed him softly on the lips, his bottom lip between hers.

"Of course we are." She smoothed her thumb along his jaw line. "So...where are we going?"

"We're going to the Tombay. Raan told me they've opened a restaurant aboard it recently. I'm sorry I can't take you somewhere fancier, I tried asking Joker to take us to Illium but he's caught up in Alliance business." Shepard sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"No, this is wonderful! I can eat a meal among my own kind without being insulted." Tali smiled. She saw Shepard's teeth grind and the skin in his knuckles whiten as they tensed.

"I hate that people still treat the Quarians poorly. I mean, they've proven their worth against the Reapers!" Tali took his hands, the warmth of her gloved palms thawing his frozen tensed hands.

"I know, but the same ideals people have had for three hundred years don't fade so quickly. I don't mind though, I've got you." She beamed.

"Happy ending?" He smiled to her.

"Ending? Far from it John..." She hugged him, his warmth radiating through her suit. "This isn't ending just yet."

"Nowhere near." He smiled.

...

Deep within the catacombs of the Neema, rows upon rows of prison cells layered the fourth deck. Some Quarians filled the spaces, tried for crimes that were committed within the confines of the Quarian people.

Han'Gerrel sat in his cell, the rough dry padding of his cot making his spine ache. The silence and isolation gave him time to think, time he wished he didn't have. The ability to ponder, to have time to think was a new sensation to the old war Admiral. He was used to having to make split second decisions. Now he had nothing to decide, no war to fight. He felt useless.

But all his hate towards the Geth, his urge to ignore Shepard when it was his call between the Geth fleet and the Quarian fleet, one trigger pull from either one being wrecked to violent extinction, all his hate would never have led him to activate that bomb.

He wanted to scrub his face, to clench his fists and beat the sensation out of his tingling palms, to allow the inviting sense of numbing to dull his nerves. He was furious that he'd been tried for such heresy. Not only was he being tried for the destruction of a Geth Consensus and all who reside within it, but for activating a nuclear based weapon on the home world, the newly reclaimed home world. But five words, five syllables kept reverberating through his skull, echoing in his eardrums.

_I did not do it._

The cell door slid open with a rusty creak and the puddle in the corner reflected the distorted appearance of Migrant fleet Marines. Two of them flanked either side of a female Quarian, clad in black: Daro'Xen.

Gerrel stood up sharp and snapped towards her. The Two marine's held his shoulders back, Gerrel's boots sliding against the metal floor.

"Impressive attempt trying to prove you aren't a violent warmonger, Gerrel." Xen crossed her arms.

"I did _not_ detonate the bomb, you egotistical psychopath!" Gerrel spat, the Marines shoving him back slightly. Han calmed, pacing back and forth as the Marines kept the iron sights and rifle barrels trained on him. To have his own Marines aiming him down was a fury that was boiling his blood to red steam.

Xen shook her head, the reflection of Gerrel swaying across her mask. "Save your lies Gerrel, the trial will decide your fate."

"So then why the friendly visit, _Admiral_?" Gerrel snarled with a taste of venom, letting gravity's velocity slump him down into a sat position on the lip of the cot, bouncing slightly. His arms rested across his knees and head tilted in a sarcastic affliction.

"Oh I'm just giving you a friendly reminder that you will be tried for mass genocide against the Geth tomorrow at noon."

"Mmm, I nearly forgot, you know. With so much going on in here I haven't had much time to think about that!" Gerrel roared at her with a sarcastic spew.

"Good evening Han." Xen muttered turning and walking out of the cell. As soon as she entered the equator of the door frame, Gerrel cleared his throat.

"I know it was you." Gerrel spoke in a bold rasp, peering up from his feet. Xen stopped frozen in the doorway; she turned her head over her shoulder, a gulp sliding down her tight throat.

"Excuse me?"

"I know it was you who detonated the bomb."

"That's ridiculous, I was there when it exploded, and do you really believe I would endanger my own life to kill that many Geth, for no due cause?"

"Well, apparently I don't know you _that_ well." Gerrel hissed, with a flick of his head. Xen's eyes flared silver against her mask. He slowly fell back onto the cot and rolled over so his suited back faced her, the beige of his armor and crimson of his cloth wraps turning darker shades by the shadows.

"You _will _be judged tomorrow Han'Gerrel. Sleep well." Xen snarled as she walked out, the Marine's following suit after locking the cell door with an echoing clank.

"Looking forward to it." Gerrel rumbled as he fluffed the flat cardboard like pillow in his dank cell, closing his silver eyes.

...

The Tombay, a marvelous Vessel, shining bright silver in the Tikkun rays as it lay on the desert ground alongside the other vessels. The Tombay lacked the damage and wear the other Envoy ships had, except for a scorched dent to the hull that rivaled the Normandy in size. Wires hung loosely and scaffolding was erected around the ships outer skin of metal.

As the electric and copper vines swayed in the hot breeze of midday, a candy red sky car raced over the mountains, a puffing breath of sandy dust exiling from the peak.

Shepard smiled at the sight of the miles long row of landed Envoy ships, all being readied with exoskeletons of scaffolding for dismantling. Quarians did not waste resources, and obviously this trait continued on even with a home world to live on. The resources within these titanic vessels would be more than enough to build a large town, even a city. Quarian's were without a doubt the most resourceful species in the galaxy, learning how to make due and not waste anything, sagaciously wise that they'd need it later on in life. Some habits die hard.

As he tilted the steering wheel, bringing the car in for a decent towards the row of Envoy ships, picking out the Tombay due to its huge scorched dent, he peered over at Tali. Within the purple haze of her mask, he could see her silver eyes beaming.

"So where are the Liveships Tali? All I've seen so far are Envoy ships." Shepard asked. Tali snapped up from her daze at him.

"Oh, well there are only two left." She said solemnly. Shepard peered at her, while keeping his eyes on the trajectory of the car.

"What?"

"We lost the _Shellen_ during the battle for Earth. The captain ordered his crew to evacuate then took it upon himself to pilot it into a Reaper. He saved almost all the Turian frigates." She spoke proudly of the Quarian man.

"Heroes like that, and still your race gets abuse. I'm sick of it, Tali." He sighed, feeling a warmth glide over his cold hand. Peering down, he saw the gloved three finger hand smoothing over his knuckles. Smiling at her, he rotated his hand and pressed his palm to hers, squeezing her hand.

"I don't care what other people think. I only care about what you think." She said softly, the words plucking his heart strings. He smiled and turned the car with his free hand past the list of Envoy ships. The _Neema_, the _Moreh_, even the _Alarei_. Their multicolored tail spines covered in replaced pieces, all from different compatible ships and parts. The truth that Quarians were resourceful was cast in metal, here to be shown with these war hardened ships, some over three hundred years old, an ode to survival.

Soon the sky car touched down aloft the newly erected external landing pad, long and rectangular in shape, many sky cars parked down on it, a rainbow of different shaded hulls.

"Here'll do." Shepard spoke as the car landed atop the pad, a thin film of dust whipping outwards from the downdraft. The car's belly settled and it yawned open, Shepard stepping out first. He walked around the car and offered his hand to Tali.

"Milady, may I?" He smiled down to her. Tali didn't know what to do. Embarrassed, she leaned forward, whispering.

"Umm...What are you doing?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm offering my hand like a gentleman to my lovely lady." He explained slowly.

"Ooh, thank you." She cooed, taking his hand as he gently pulled her up out of the car to her feet. He turned and locked the sky car, offering his hand once again, which she gladly took. Together they walked towards the door leading inside the Tombay.

"I wonder if Auntie Raan is here." Tali pondered aloud as they walked through the double doors, a jet of cold air from the conditioner licking Shepard's face.

"Maybe, she_ is_ part of this ship's crew, right?" Shepard chuckled, earning a confused head tilt from Tali. "_Auntie_ Shala'Raan vas Tombay. That is her official name, right?" He smirked as Tali bumped his shoulder with hers.

"Shut up. She's my auntie, so I call her that." She pouted, scrunching her brow, concealed under the mask.

"Hey, I was only teasing. C'mon, let's get something to eat." Shepard retook her hand as he sniffed the fragrance of cooked meat in the air.

"Hopefully they do Levo food too." Tali said, Shepard's eyes widening.

"Shit. I err...didn't think of that." He scrubbed the back of his neck with a calloused hand. "Hopefully."

"Well, if not we can just go home-

"No, no I want to do something with you, _I wanna be out_, wanna be outside, you know?" he whined.

"Okay, now you sound like a Varren. Shall we get you a little Varren house to put in the garden, a bone to chew on?" she chuckled at his over dramatic frown. He coiled an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against him as they neared the restaurant.

The restaurant was erected in what used to be one of the Admiralty meeting rooms, the large open expanse of flat metal tiles and steps leading down into the room. Opposing these steps across the room was where the Admiral's use to stand if there was a trial or hearing. The ceiling was high up and very well lit from the rows of track lighting above. Walls of plants and trees made the room glow with an almost green hue, the air breathable. The trees looked almost palm tree like, but a lot taller and had larger leaves and a thick trunk cementing it to the soil in the metal containers.

Water dripped from the leaves and small buds of moisture plucked along the stems. Moisture filled the air and a nice humidity had formed, an almost rain forest like feel. Now though, the room was littered with square polished silver tables and the where the Admiralty board used to stand housed the kitchen.

Doors swung open to the kitchen and Shepard got a glimpse at the sterilized white room, sniffing the aroma filled steam that vented out. As the doors flung open, Quarians with black cloth wraps and aprons over their Enviro suits stepped out, balancing plates along their arms.

Shepard and Tali stood hand in hand at the entrance. "Keelah, this is so...weird." She shrugged under his arm.

"How so?"

"Seeing my people so at peace, to be able to give ourselves such luxuries?" Tali smiled at the sight.

"Nice huh?" Shepard smiled.

"It is. Thank you." She softened into him. He pecked a kiss on the brow of her mask, turning to the waitress who was walking over.

"Welcome to the Tombay, my name is Shax'Nevu nar Rayya, would you like a table for two?" The cheery young female said with a prominent smile behind her almost opaque black mask.

"Yes, that would be nice." Tali said as she stood up straight. "Umm...do you serve Levo food?" she asked for Shepard. The Quarian waitress stopped grabbing the pair of laminated menus and peered up at Tali, then Shepard.

"We do indeed. We've gotten a few Levo customers and we recently brought in a stock to accommodate. There isn't as much choice though I'm afraid." Shax said in an upbeat apologetic tone. Shepard raised his palms in surrender.

"Not to worry, I'm an easy man to feed." He chuckled.

"It's true." Tali nodded. Shax'Nevu chuckled gently. She suddenly stopped. "Wait. You're Commander Shepard aren't you?" she squeaked. He could feel Tali's hand tensing.

"Yes I am. I'd just like a quiet meal though, no fuss."

"Oh, of course, follow me." She ushered them down the steps, a flash of his agitated walk down the steps to Tali's trial emanating across his vision, the red glazed fury to his eyes as he peered at the Admirals, the crowds of Quarians cursing and shouting at Tali, her head lowering in disdain, finally raising his voice and telling them all of her wondrous achievements, saving her name along with her fathers. While that was aboard Rayya, this area was still prominently similar. It seemed all ships in the fleet; even Envoy ships had these meeting areas.

Brought back to the present by Tali's tug on his hand, Shepard side stepped past a table of male and female Quarians, tubes of nutrient paste and even plates on their table. A few Turians and even an Asari adorned this restaurant.

Shax stopped at a table in the corner, overlooked by a shady leaf from an overhanging tree. Steam rose from the soil and a faint waterfall could be heard trickling behind them on the far wall. It was nice to see the Quarian's stretching for some luxuries. The waitress set the menu's down and bowed before leaving the duo. Tali sat opposite as Shepard parked into his own seat. With both his hands on the table, he looked around smiling.

"This is really nice, isn't it Tali?" He asked, Tali nodding. He grasped his menu and folded the laminated pages open, examining his options: A small Levo column in the right hand corner. He chuckled faintly, rubbing his chin. Tali looked across the table at him, studying his facial features. She sighed contently and her shoulders sagged, a loving smile on her hidden face.

"So, I'm not infecting the ship without my helmet on, right?"

"If this was still the Migrant fleet, or a Liveship, then yes, but now we have Rannoch and are slowly adapting, no, you're safe." She smiled, looking down at her menu.

"Order whatever you want honey, not like we have to save credits for a mission or something."

"Right, only bills, car fuel, house appliances, Childr-"she stopped cold and flat on the last one, gulping and dropping her head sharply to study the menus. Shepard sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose sadly.

"So umm...what did you mean by "thank you" earlier?" He asked, desperate to change the subject. Feeling safe again, Tali's head peered up, silver eyes aflame with compassion.

"John, really? You save my people, gave us our home world back, peace with the Geth." She listed off on her fingers.

"I know, just love hearing it." He smirked contently, stretching back in his seat. Tali scoffed.

"Yeah, I'm sure you loved the interest that waitress gave you back there."

"Huh?" he sat up rigid, incredulous eyebrow stunned.

"Oh come on John, she was drooling over you." Tali rolled her eyes, turning back to the menu.

"No, she recognized me." he defended.

"Keelah, how well do you know Quarian body language?"

"Hey, I only need to know yours. Your body is the only one I'm interested in, okay?" his commander tone of voice came into action.

"I know. Thank you." She slithered her arm across the table, thumb brushing his knuckles. He smiled, the other hand landing on top of hers. "So, ready to order?" she asked.

"Tali, out of the option of steak or burger...Gah, it's just too much!" he sarcastically feigned stress, Tali giggling. "Hardest decision I've _ever_ had to make!" He chuckled as she swatted his hand gently.

"Okay, now I know you're kidding." She laughed. Tali's happiness and laughter was like music to his ears, a soft tune that numbed his pain and soothed his worries.

"What about you, what you having?" he asked her with a smile. She mumbled as her finger tip traced down the laminated page.

"Ah! Here, I was going to have the Ser'Mie...I-if that's okay?" she shrunk he head down into her shoulders, embarrassed and feeling selfish.

"Tali, my angel, love of my life, of course it is. Have whatever you want." He smiled, leaning back in his seat. Tali's ludicrous selfishness vanished like a puff of smoke, feeling loved.

"So what is Ser'Mie?" He flicked his menu open again, scanning the page with his eyes for it.

"It's an ancient Quarian dish. We haven't had the ingredients for it since leaving Rannoch. Now we're back, we've managed to replant the necessary ingredients. I've always heard stories about it. I never got to try it though. There was only a small amount on the Flotilla, and my father always told me to give it to others. Even at my own Birthday, I gave it up for everyone else. Auntie Raan said I could have some, but it was better to let others have it." Tali shrugged, examining the menu again. Shepard's eyes were awe struck on her.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Shepard smiled at her, shaking his head.

"Thank...you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You're just the most selfless person I know. Your father obviously did something right, raising you to be the wonderful woman I know now; Beauty, heart, kindness...perfect." He smiled, Tali's cheeks flushing, biting her lip at the compliment.

"Oh, thank you. That means...thank you." She giggled. The Waitress returned, Datapad in hand.

"Ready to order?" Shax'Nevu said with a hidden beaming smile. Shepard leaned forward.

"Yeah, I'll have the Steak, medium rare please." He smiled. The Waitress nodded, jotting the order down on her pad. Her helmet and hood head peered at Tali.

"Oh, I'll have the umm...Ser'Mie please." Tali smiled, feeling it was useless to do so behind her mask prison. She jotted the order down and nodded, taking the menu's under her arm and leaving towards the kitchen. Shepard turned to Tali.

"So...favorite movie, and not Fleet and Flotilla..." He cut her off, Tali's mouth shutting, words on the edge of her tongue. "Come on, you've got to have another favorite classic flick?" He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Tali's eyes darted in thought.

"Ooh! Did you ever see the Vid "_The Machine and the Machinist_?" Tali asked. He shook his head. "Argh, it is _sooo_ good!" She said cheery, bouncing on her seat. Shepard smiled warmly, elbow propped on the table and head in hand.

"What's it about?"

"Well, it's set during the Morning War, and this Geth unit starts to have memories about this family it supposedly has. The programmers called it a glitch and threatened to terminate it, but the Geth fought back, saying that it needs to find this family and its daughter." Tali paused for air.

"So, this Geth thinks he has a family, a daughter?" Shepard asked, actually intrigued by the plot.

"Yes, and he scours Rannoch for them, but bumps into a female Quarian who helps him. In the end, it turns out the dreams are about her." Tali leaned across the table to whisper the last part, like Gossip.

"That sounds pretty awesome actually." Shepard nodded.

"Yeah, real action vid, you'd love it. Did you know that they filmed the Rannoch scenes on Palaven?" Tali nodded enthusiastically, Shepard chuckling.

"We'll have to sit down and watch it someday." He smiled. Just then, their drinks arrived, a bottle of Levo Beer for Shepard and a Dextro wine for Tali. With her trusty straw and port, she had little trouble slurping her drink. Shepard gulped back a swig of Beer, a fuzzy flicker hitting his eyes for only a second.

"Okay, you're turn. What's your favorite movie?" she asked, barely able to contain herself from hearing about a human movie.

"Okay...well...I'd have to say, it'd probably have to be _Star Wars_, age old classic, nearly three centuries old, and still so good!" He smiled.

"Which one." Tali said nonchalantly between slurps. Shepard's eyes snapped wide, focusing on her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa...you've _seen_ Star Wars?" He asked, struggling to believe he was discussing this film series...with a Quarian...that he loved. Tali slowly stopped her sips, the straw falling from her port.

"Well, when we were battling the Collectors and I was doing my research for...well...you know." She nervously giggled. "I came across some movies that Humans liked. I saw the name Star Wars, and it seemed appropriate." She shrugged. Shepard scoffed.

"I can't believe my Quarian girlfriend has seen Star Wars! Well which one?!" He leaned onto the table, eyes transfixed on her.

"I didn't get to watch them. You know...Collector abductions and, trying to find a way to share myself with you." She chuckled. Shepard nodded, feeling a little ridiculous.

"Oh yeah, I've gotta say I think I studied Quarian physiology harder than I did my N7 exams." He laughed, shaking his head. "Seriously, two nights I sat up reading everything on you guys."

"Really? I'm flattered." Tali smiled.

"Yeah, I...I wanted it to go right. Not be some awkward inter-species thing that made us awkward around each other from there on. I care about you a lot and...I wanted more out of it than a few hours of fun." He rubbed his neck.

"Aww, I knew I loved you for a reason!" she giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a big old softy, I know." He shook his head, rolling his eyes. Tali sat contently, watching the man across the table. She felt stupid for being afraid of him. He would hurt anyone who laid a finger on her, but never ever do anything to harm her. She loved him unconditionally, and it was mutual.

...

Empty plates, stained cutlery and dry glasses sat atop the table as Shepard and Tali conversed with each other, contently fed and happy with one another's company. Elbows propped on the table and hands planted under her helmeted chin, Tali's half lidded eyes were glued to Shepard as he spoke.

"Okay, okay, I got one..." His mouth hung ajar slightly as he tried to recall the line. "I was in the Embassy's at the time, working with a Salarian Spectre called Jondum Bau and Kasumi, if you can believe that." He chuckled at Tali's eyes opening slightly wider behind the mask.

"So we were trying to stop this indoctrinated Hanar diplomat from uploading a virus into the Citadel."

"An indoctrinated Hanar, really?" Tali raised an incredulous eyebrow. He nodded, swirling his hands at the air to grab his thoughts.

"Anyway, we finally got to him, and he's going on about Enkindlers and Collectors, saying that they served the Reapers, so must the Hanar."

"Oh you _are _kidding?" She rolled her eyes at the Hanar's stupidity.

"Nope, In...In the end I ended up calling him, and I quote..."A big stupid Jellyfish." He chuckled, more so at Tali's reaction, fits of adorable giggles escaping her vocal cords. They both calmed and stared at each other. Shepard let a sigh escape his lips.

"This whole thing with the Geth...it's getting bad isn't it?" he smiled sadly at her. Tali huffed, nodding.

"It's very tense right now. Hopefully putting Gerrel on trial will smooth things out." She shook her head gently. Shepard nodded to her.

"I hope so; I mean I came here to live happily with you, to escape war and conflict, not fall into another." He grumbled. Tali's hand smooth across his, leaning across the table. He smiled at her as the Quarian waitress returned.

"Was everything to your liking?" she asked in a gentle yet upbeat tone.

"Yeah, thanks. Can we get the bill?" Shepard asked as she took their plates.

"Of course." She nodded, leaving quickly with their empty stacked plates. Shepard looked back at Tali, now having room on the table to let her play with his fingers, which he adored, the way she gently tugged and caressed each finger.

"So..." she started, a quiet gulp constricting her tight throat. "...About living happily..."

"Mmm?" Shepard smiled contently at her small ministrations to his digits.

"Well...I mean...we live together and...well...we've known each other-I-I mean been involved together for nearly three years." Tali began to nervously mumble. Shepard peered up at her across the table.

"What's wrong Tali?" He asked. She took a deep inhale and a slow exhale.

_Okay, now or never. Tell him that you want to be bonded. _

"I think that we-

"Here's your bill sir, thank you coming, and we hope you enjoyed your meal! Keelah Se'lai!" The Quarian Waitress said with a hidden smile brimming behind her glass mask. Tali's head slumped down slightly, but Shepard saw it all.

"Yeah, thanks." He nodded to the waitress, who in turn left. "So...what did you want to tell me?" He asked.

"Oh, it umm...it doesn't matter, n-nothing important." She forced a fake smile behind the purple haze. Shepard shrugged and looked at the bill, removing his credit chit. Tali looked down at the fidgeting hands on her lap. Shepard however didn't miss a thing. He knew her body language, how she acted. He knew something was on her mind.

...

Reegar had returned from the mission to the Eastern Valley hours ago, but had simply sat in his room staring at the wall, a grey shade tinting his vision as memories began to creep in. The icy fingers of his nightmares began to pluck on his brain stem, playing their violent tune of horrible memories.

He snapped awake and caught his breath, seeing the sunlight ebb in through the windows. He sighed, looking down at the lip of the bed he was perched on. It was creased and dented where he'd been sat almost all night. With a groan he got up and looked down at the red dry gore that stained his armor. With a heaving sigh, he turned on his heel and padded into the shower, a small one by one cubicle with silver walls and a nozzle at the roof.

He pressed the button and the cold jet stream of water hit his suited body, water running down his mask, slowly melting away the two red palm prints.

As he began to unwind, his muscles relaxing with the sound of running water and the feel of his suit being cleaned, he peered upwards, letting the water impact his chest, soaking the gold cloth wraps. His eyes refocused on the shower nozzle, the water spraying out.

Suddenly the nozzle flashed into a Machine gun barrel, the water turning to loud muzzle flashes. The bellow of a Reaper horn blasted through his ear drums. Reegar screamed in start and fell back against the wall, his breath heaving. He finally plucked enough courage to gaze up at the shower head, water falling from its nozzle. A heavy shaky sigh rattled up his constricted throat and he pressed his head against the wall, looking down at the blood running off his armor.

He pulled his gloved hands up and stared at the red stains. With a shiver racking its way up his spinal column, he started rubbing them together, meshing water between the grinding palms. He peered back at them and the blood was still there, still the same. He scrubbed again, harder. Once more, the blood failed to leave his hands.

In a fit of panic, he scrubbed incredibly hard, till the friction wore his gloves. He peered back and still the blood remained. With a ragged gasp and panted breath, he unlocked both gloves and pulled them off; throwing the sopping wet cloth appendages in the corner of the shower.

He peered down at his grey skin hands and his heart stop dead. The blood was still there.

With a start Reegar sat up right on his cot, breath ragged. His silver eyes darted around the room and the darkness that subdued each corner. His heavy gasps calmed and he gulped over the lump in his throat. Slowly he wiped his hands down his face, smearing the cold sweat that drenched his grey scarred skin. In the corner of the room his eyes focused on the low light and he picked out the gold and reds of his armored Enviro-suit. It still had blood stains splattered up its side.

_It was just a dream..._

Reegar sighed, pulling his scarred legs up to his chest, the white skin of his scars paling next to dark purple patches of bruises. He hugged his legs; head nestled down between his kneecaps. The nightmares flooded his cerebrum, even now he could still hear the high pitch whine in his drums from when the Reaper horn bellowed oh so loud above him on the plains of Palaven. His shoulder's bobbed and he cried in his silent one by one room, ragged gasps emitting from his aching lungs.

_I wish it was all just a dream...just a horrible dream..._

...


	11. Chapter 11: It all seemed Harmless

**Author Note: Hey everyone, new chapter! Hope you like it! Here comes the plot!**

* * *

...

CAM No2: Recording:

Xen adjusted the fuzzy lens, pixels straining and mixing millions of small colored squares into the static image. She leaned back from the optical lens, the reflection of the camera shrinking in her mirrored glass face. The aperture blurred and quickly refocused as she stepped aside. Revealing her sterile lab.

"V.I installment trials...attempt number three. Captured Geth counterparts have failed as the V.I ravaged and destroyed their motherboards. I have attempted to dampen the V.I's abilities." She cleared her voice and turned to the lab table, a Geth unit lying out upon its pristine chrome surface. The optical sensor had been unscrewed and removed, placed on a nearby metal tray, along with the neatly laid out screws.

She paced from the camera that viewed the open laboratory. Strewn Geth parts littered the floor. To stop the Geth from panicking or seeing this as a threatening experiment, she had dismantled the eye and locked the Geth's black box, sealing the unit's mind within; similar to what she did to Jor.

"Creator Xen? I do not understand the nature of these upgrades. Our designs are already satisfactory for Geth use." The unit electronically whirred, head moving to see the room, despite the removed eye.

"Oh, this is a simple upgrade for your optical sensors. Consider it a gift as apology for Admiral Gerrel's actions. Not all Quarians are like him." Xen cooed with a hidden smirk as she pulled a white latex glove down her suited arm, snapping it to her elbow with a slap. The eyeless Geth head peered at her, only the inner workings of the Geth unit's head showing. The head flaps reared slightly.

"We know. What Destroyer Gerrel did is inexcusable. But as a race, we know not all Creators are alike. You are not like him." The Geth whirred gently. She smiled at the Geth lying defenselessly on her sterile operating table. A long copper cable with a silver plug rose in her hands.

"Oh I know. _I'm worse._" She snarled, slamming the cable down into the port on the Geth's open head. The body thrashed and jerks, the restraints on the arms and legs holding the bucking limbs down. Green flashes of light roared and flashed like aurora borealis lightning. Her silver eyes sinisterly fixated on the wailing, bucking Geth on the table. Finally a massive boom emitted and the fried Geth head jerked back finally, the body falling still. The room darkened to almost pitch black, the camera losing focus on the dark.

"Damn! Another failure, Attempt number three." Xen rubbed her visor in frustration with a white gloved hand. "V.I has once again ravaged the Geth's motherboard and black box." She growled, throwing the cable down on the deceased unit. "How did Cerberus do it?" she snarled, stepping away from the body as the track lighting above flickered back to life with a blink.

The white room seemed darker than before, her dark deeds seemingly darkening the sterile room after every attempt. She opened her Omni tool and leaned against her desk, scanning over the documents. Xen shook her head as she flicked her finger up the holographic page, words flying past. Suddenly one quick glimpse caught her eye and she scrolled back, her silver gaze locking onto the paragraph.

_David Archer, the human component of the hybrid VI, was autistic and a mathematical savant. David's unparalleled understanding of mathematics allowed him to communicate with the Geth on a fundamental level; communication had previously been a significant hurdle for the project, and without any results the __Illusive Man__ threatened to shut the project down. Dr. Archer realized the potential of this breakthrough, and forcibly incorporated David into the VI. At this point, the hybrid VI went berserk and began its rampage and escape attempt._

Xen suddenly felt a pair of imaginary hands grip her brain and rinse it out like a damp towel. All her thoughts came to a violent realization. A human mind was needed to complete this V.I that she managed to recreate. The only component missing. She scanned back up the page and read the sentence she'd scanned over several times, though only now did it make sense to her why it was important to her subconscious.

_After deactivating the rogue VI, my decision about who should handle the care of __**David Archer**__ fell to __**Grissom Academy**__ and its leading professional Kahlee Sanders. He is in capable hands, far away and safe from Gavin Archer._

The words her mind outlines in deep black thrummed into her cerebrum. She finally had her means of completion. With her knowledge of the Geth she could stop this V.I from going berserk, along with David's ability to communicate with the Geth digitally. She needed to get to the newly rebuilt Academy and seize David Archer. She smirked and chuckled, turning from her table and looking at the camera lens. She neared it, leaning towards it.

"Attempt number four coming soon. Oh, that will be my greatest achievement." She cackled.

"End log."

...

Like a cawing buzz-saw tearing through the eardrums, the alarm clock blitzed the silence of the bedroom. Lunar light soaked into the curtains and painted four squares of white light on the wooden floor by the foot of the bed. Within the crisp white sheets lay two bodies, both baring skin against skin, tan against pale grey, curves against broad muscle. With a protective arm curled around Tali's waist, holding her lithe form against his hip, her leg draped over his, he slowly began to uncomfortably stir, brow scrunched.

His arm slithered away from Tali's soft side, an unhappy moan escaping her lips as she nuzzled deeper into his chest, her left hand pressed against his pectoral, hair splayed out across his collarbone. He grumbled as his eyes peeled apart, dazed and drowsy drenched iris's looking for the disturbance. He noticed the beeping wasn't coming from the obnoxious alarm clock, but from the small metal band that housed his Omni tool, perched on the night stand. His hand grasped the metal coil after three missed clutches at thin air.

He placed it on his wrist, snarling at the cold metal on skin. Shepard pressed the small beeping button and suddenly a vibrant flash of amber lit the room, the Omni tool bursting to life. Tali and Shepard both groaned, Shepard shielding his eyes and Tali grumbling unhappily.

"Keelah, what time is it?" She moaned, scrunching a fistful of bed sheets and pulling them over her head, mumbling as she nuzzled back into the soft comfortable spot she had found earlier on. Shepard grimaced and dimmed the brightness of the tool. Finally the message materialized.

_"Shepard!"_ rumbled the deep baritone voice of none other than Urdnot Wrex. His leathery face curled over his teeth into a toothy grin. Shepard snarled at him, rubbing his eyes with a free hand as Tali pressed against him beneath the covers, slowly falling asleep again.

"Wrex, you...You get that there's a time difference right?" Shepard moaned. Wrex simply laughed, his huge toad like mouth guffawing. The red eyes set back on Shepard.

_"Sorry, but knowing you and Tali, you weren't doing much sleeping."_ He chuckled, that constant grin on his face.

"Har-har Wrex." Shepard deadpanned. "We were actually sleeping."

_"Okay Okay, get off my tail."_ Wrex raised his hands on the Vid screen, the scars on his right side still creasing into a grin.

"So...what's up?" Shepard hissed. Wrex smirked again at the grumpy human he called a brother.

_"Just letting you know, that me and Baby Pyjak are stopping by on Rannoch for a day or two. Thought we'd come and visit."_ Wrex nodded. Shepard scoffed a dreary laugh at Wrex's name for Grunt.

"Two huge Krogan that love to break things stopping by my new house? Sounds wonderful." Shepard dryly spoke. Wrex chuckled that same signature laugh of his, his red cracked crest bobbing along with his head.

_"We'll be by in the morning. See ya then Shepard."_

"Wrex." Shepard shut the tool and darkness resumed. Still half asleep, he was happy to know it wouldn't take long to fall asleep again.

"Mmm, Wrex and Grunt in the morning?" Tali mumbled as she poked her head up from the sheets, still pressing against him softly. Her warmth heated his side and he moaned with delight as he wrapped his arms around her beneath the sheets.

"Mmm hmm. Night Tal." Shepard pressed the side of his head into the cool pillow; eyes closed as he brought his head down and kissed the top of her head, the scent of her hair intoxicatingly wonderful.

"Goodnight sweethea..." She yawned mid sentence, eyes tightly shut and slowly softening. She never finished the sentence as an adorable snore left her ajar lips. With a content smile on his face, Shepard hugged her closer and they both drifted back to sleep.

...

Slowly his lids began to open as the morning rays of dawn filled the bedroom. The light was unchallenged as the curtains were pulled back and the blue sky was faintly tinged with a morning mist. Shepard blinked gently and yawned, stretching his arms out. He suddenly realized that the weight of a Quarian to his side was gone, and he peered over to see her side empty.

Suddenly with a bounce, said Quarian landed on him, clad in her snug Enviro-suit, only thing being missing was the purple mask and helmet. Shepard groaned at her pounce, but a faint chuckle jolting his throat. Tali giggled as she watched him writhe beneath her.

"Wakey wakey!" She cheerily said. Shepard blinked hard and sat up, elbows propping him.

"What's got you so cheery?" He smirked, Tali leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. The soft massaging of his lips with hers made him moan with delight, bringing one of his propping hands up to cup her cheek. As the kiss intensified to a snog, Shepard brought his other supporting hand up to her side, snaking it down her curved hips and grasping her suited rear. Relying only on his abdominal muscles to hold him in the obtuse angle, the fervor that Tali pushed against him with sent him slowly falling back against the bed with said Quarian, pillow squishing under his head. Tali pressed her gloved hands on his chest, her lips smacking against his, both eyes shut as she allowed passion to see her way.

Feeling a stiffness form beneath the sheets and graze against her inner thigh, she bit his lip gently and groaned, eyes tightly shut. Shepard gasped for air and fervor, hands roaming over her curvaceous body. Her hair spilled down her sides, trickling like a raven black waterfall. His calloused left thumb pad caressed her cheek while the other squeezed into her rear.

She leaned forward pinning his shoulders against the mattress, straddling his waist, only sheets and her Enviro-suit between their skins. She sucked on his lips, pulling away and panting for air, eyes finally opening to lay on his stunned ones.

"Wha...what the...he...hell?" He panted for air as Tali bit her own bottom lip, eyes filled with heat. "It's the morning, what's with you?" he smiled. She shrugged, smirking at him as her fingers walked up his chest, scraping over his collar bone. He smiled at her hand seeing the gold band around her index finger. He peered at his own hand seeing a matching ring there.

"You're dreaming. You think I'm really going to have sex with you when Wrex and Grunt are downstairs?" she smirked.

Suddenly Shepard sat upright, rubbing his eyes with both palms and groaning to himself. Peering to his side, the bed was empty of Tali. He sighed and shook his head, peering down at the stiffened member under the sheets. He sighed and rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"I have sex dreams about my _own_ girlfriend. Typical, I can't get laid in a dream." He scoffed, giving his body a moment to redirect the blood flow. Throwing his sheets off, he padded his bare feet across the lit room and into the bathroom. He stood over the sink and splashed cold water onto his face. He peered up as the cold beads rumbled down his face and dripped off his chiseled jaw line. His azure eyes set on the reflection in the mirror. His mind darted back to the dream. She had a ring on her finger.

_I don't remember her having a ring. She doesn't, does she? Tali doesn't wear any jewelry. Why did I imagine her wearing a golden ring?_

He awoke from his thoughts as the front door slammed shut downstairs, a deep baritone laugh echoing up the stairs. He quickly sprayed some deodorant, brushed his teeth, spitting the white foam down the sink. No time to shave, he quickly padded back out, picking up his folded jeans, the belt buckle clinking against the belt itself as he quickly shimmied each leg in, hopping till they reached his thin hips.

After doing those up, he pulled a grey T shirt over his broad torso. He pulled his black socks on and then his boots, tying up the laces. He trudged down the stairs, galloping down the last steps till he hit the living room floor. He smiled upon seeing the Claymore shotgun lent against the radiator.

_Yep: Krogan._

With a smile and a flutter in his heart of happiness, he entered the bright white kitchen, chuckling immediately upon seeing his two Krogan family members. Huge red shell of armor adorning his torso, Wrex turned and smiled happily.

"Shepard!" Wrex cheered, hands stretched out in a greeting, Grunt turning sharply and grinning.

"Heh, Heh, Battlemaster!" Grunt chuckled.

"Get over here you two!" Shepard laughed, bear hugging the massive Urdnot clan leader, his hands barely wrapping around his friend, slapping each other's backs. Wrex reeled back, grinning, huge scars tearing down his head. He stepped aside and Grunt wrapped both titanic arms around the retired Commander. He lifted Shepard off the tiled floor with ease, crushing the life out of him. Shepard wheezed as he tapped out upon Grunt's boulder sized shoulders.

"Oops. Sorry, Heh-Heh." Grunt chuckled as he released Shepard. He spluttered and laughed, peering around the two Krogan at Tali by the coffee machine, eyes within her mask set on stirring the cups on the counter. He peered at her swirling hand that held the chrome spoon, seeing no such gold band. He sighed and rubbed his brow.

"Hey, you okay?" Wrex asked, half joking, half serious. Shepard nodded with a snapping smile.

"Hey, my two favorite Krogan are here. How are you guys?" Shepard leaned against the counter as he crossed his arms. Wrex chuckled as he nodded to Shepard.

"Everything's great. Tuchanka's on the mend, and our people are working together."

"Yeah. We're not wasting the second chance you gave us Battlemaster." Grunt nodded.

"I knew the Krogan wouldn't waste it the moment Wrex came to me about the cure. I never doubted you guys for a moment. Wreav on the other hand." Shepard chuckled at Wrex's bellowing laughter. Tali stepped by him, offering Shepard a cup of Coffee. He took it with a smile.

"Thank you sweetheart." He warmly beamed as Tali pressed her audio port to his cheek, a kiss sounding in his ear.

"You're welcome John." She beamed back, her eyes being silver crescent moons behind the haze. She stepped back and offered a cup to Wrex. He accepted the mug happily.

"Hey, where's my kiss Tali?" He smirked. She scoffed.

"I'd need a step ladder...and mouth wash." She smirked, Wrex chuckling.

"See? She's got one hell of a Quad, Shepard!" He nodded, Grunt chuckling. Shepard nodded as well as he watched her lean against the counter next to him.

"Yeah, she has. More than me." he wrapped a hand around her shoulder, pulling her against him.

"Apparently so." Wrex smirked.

"Yeah, why'd you go soft Battlemaster? What happened to that monster we saw on the battlefield?"

"He...he finally got happy." He nodded, visions of ripping a Quarian throat out with his own teeth flashing. He shook his head and peered up at Wrex and Grunt, sharing stories about either the Saren hunt or the Collector mission. Tali's hands were wriggling together, and Shepard noticed.

"You okay?" He whispered in her ear. she nodded to him.

"Just...Gerrel's trial later. I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"I've got to be on the board, stand in for my father...again."

"Wait, you're making the decision?"

"Yeah." she sighed. Shepard looked back at Wrex and Grunt chuckling and talking, Grunt's hands zooming around to imitate something, possible the Normandy in his story. He peered back at Tali.

"You okay about that?" he asked softly.

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, he's my Uncle basically, my father's best friend." she shrugged.

"He did a bad thing Tali." Shepard stared at her.

"Did he? Do we know that?" she spoke with a quiver. Shepard sighed, jaw unclenching.

"Okay, what's going on?" Wrex sighed, crossing his arms. Shepard nodded.

"Well, today is the trial of Admiral Han'Gerrel. I suppose you heard about the Geth attack?" Shepard asked, gulping back some hot coffee.

"Yeah, lots dead, destroyed. Not looking good." Grunt rubbed his huge head.

"Yeah, we stopped by to check in on the situation as well as visit." Wrex shrugged. Shepard nodded to himself.

"Well, Tali's on the board. She's going to be one of the people judging him." Shepard sighed, Tali nodding. Wrex's red eyes widened slightly.

"What does that mean?" Grunt mumbled. Wrex leaned forward after a grumbling eye roll.

"She helps decide if he's innocent, Pyjak." He clapped his hand on Grunt's back.

"Oh. He's not innocent though, right?" Grunt asked innocently. Wrex looked at Shepard and Tali.

"We're...not sure. He's always been destructive and violent. I think he did it. But...Tali's unsure."

"Ah, you'll do fine. You'll see the evidence and make your call." Wrex smiled, leaning forward and patting Tali's shoulder comfortingly. For a huge organic war machine, he was at heart a softy.

"Thank you Wrex. I've got to put some clothes away quickly. I'll be back in a moment." Tali said with a hidden smile as she walked out of the room. Shepard gulped the last of his Coffee, peering at the eyes of Wrex and Grunt.

"What?" He scoffed.

"So...where'd you get that bruise on your nose?" Wrex asked, face stern. Shepard looked down at his empty mug, free hand caressing the bridge of his nose. If there was anyone he could talk to about this, it was Wrex...and Grunt.

"We went on a mission to clear out a group of rebel Quarian's from a Geth farm. The mission went sour and the bomb blew us out of the sky. We camped out till the rescue teams arrived. Tali showed up but we were ambushed." Shepard's jaw clenched.

"A group of these Quarian's jumped us, attacked Garrus, Xen and Reegar...Tali." He snarled, hand tightening till his scarred knuckles went pale. "I warned them Wrex. Warned them to stop...touching her. But they carried on." his hand grew tighter, the porcelain of his mug cracking under the pressure.

"I warned them so many times. But...they kept...hurting her...hurting Garrus. I snapped, threw a piece of burning wood at him so I could get free. I got up but he held me back." He scoffed, hand tightening and tightening.

"I watched over his shoulder as this...monster pulled at her suit, touched her body...made her cry!" Shepard gritted his teeth and the mug exploded in his palm, Wrex peering down at the falling chunks of white porcelain. Grunt peered at Wrex for any sort of tell.

"I warned them..." He peered up with glassy eyes at Wrex.

"What did you do Shepard?" he asked as softly as he could in his baritone voice. Shepard scoffed and rubbed his eyes, blood staining his porcelain prickled hand.

"I ripped his throat out with my teeth." He spoke so calmly and with a faint weak laugh, tears dripping onto his shirt, unable to comprehend his own unthinkable actions. He shrugged. "I snapped...and I just... to save the one person I can't live without...that's her." He motioned towards the ceiling, where Tali was upstairs. Wrex's eyes never left Shepard. Even Grunt was quiet and shocked.

"She was scared of me Wrex. She was scared of _me_!" Shepard slapped his chest repeatedly as he hissed through gritted teeth.

"What sort of person does that to someone? What sort of...animal does that?" he sighed, peering at the floor, crunching porcelain under heel.

"A desperate one." Wrex leaned forward to let the words impact him. Shepard peered up, his eyes raw. "You were in a situation where it was either you, or them. You were thrown into a situation where you had no gun, no knife, no weapon at all. _You_ were thrown into a situation where you were forced to watch that wonderful girl get hurt!" He pointed to the ceiling. "It was either you or them. Yeah, maybe it was violent, maybe it was scary. But they're here now to think that because _you_ acted."

Shepard scoffed, avoiding the Krogan gaze.

"Would you ever hurt her?" Wrex asked.

"No!" Shepard answered immediately. Wrex smiled.

"Exactly. You hurt _them_, because they were hurting _her._ She has nothing to fear. I know you Shepard: A heart of gold, _you _gave my kind a second chance based only on _me_, and a few other Krogan, you hadn't met every single Krogan and asked them about their personality. _You_ took a gamble, and look at us now! A new empire, an ideal of hope, of peace! That's because of _you_. You gave _us_ a second chance; you did the same for them." Wrex grabbed Shepard's shoulders.

"You don't have a bad bone in your body. It wasn't an animal's actions, it was a _desperate man's_, and there is _nothing_ more dangerous than a man with a loved one at stake." Wrex stood up straight. Shepard smiled at Wrex, sniffing.

"It's not true. Wrex, what makes me different from them, huh? They were savages, and I killed them _like _a savage!" Shepard sniffed. He leaned forward towards Wrex. "I'm not what she thinks I am. I'm just another monster too." He sighed, standing up straight.

"She knows what you are: A damn good man who was put in a position where violent bloodshed was impossible to avoid. It was either you or them. Think of it like the Reapers. Either we destroy them, or they destroy us? You feel guilt over the Reapers?" Wrex asked him rhetorically. Shepard shook his head.

"Never." Shepard growled.

"These men acted like monsters, they get treated like monsters. They get killed like the monsters they are. You're one of the kindest men I know; I wouldn't call you my brother otherwise."

Shepard sighed, rubbing is brow.

"Thanks Wrex. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime brother. You are _not_ an animal. You're a man that's new to the feeling of true love. That includes doing the unthinkable to save that person." Wrex nodded. "Even that."

"Whew...I guess so."

Wrex nodded, eyes peering at the arch to the living room then back to Shepard. He was starting to calm, and a supportive thump on the arm from Grunt and a toothy grin made him chuckle.

Stood in the living room by the arch to the kitchen was Tali, back to the wall and eyes darting in thought. What Wrex had said was true, and it made her love Shepard even more. She smiled to herself and sighed away her bubbling emotions. Remembering when the Citadel exploded with him on it, quivering hands unable to put his name on the memorial wall. She never felt so alone. She never ever loved anyone like she did Shepard. And he loved her the same way. She swallowed her thoughts and stepped around the corner.

_He can't live without me. _

"Hey! What are we talking about?" She asked with a hidden smile. Shepard gulped.

"Err, guns and stuff, right Wrex?" he looked to the Krogan, quickly wiping his eyes.

"Yep, big old guns..."

Tali grasped Shepard's hand and squeezed it, smiling at him. He was happily chatting with Grunt about the Collector Base. She watched as Shepard smiled at Grunt's storytelling, confusing Wrex on parts when he left a crucial fact out, which Shepard added. Grunt then went back to flying his hands around to visualize the fight.

Tali kept her eyes on Shepard. She felt silly for being scared of him. His actions were never animalistic; they were scared actions, loving actions. Of course he'd never do that to her, he did it to save her. She cherished his words on her, and pulled herself against his arm, head on his shoulder, tracing fingers around his palm. Shepard smiled warmly as he watched the Krogan laughing and chatting.

...

Tali sat in the Garden, her feet dangling off the cliff as her hood billowed around her head, her mask in her lap. She enjoyed these moments where she could let a small dose of the environment help adapt her immune system. She closed her eyes as the cold breeze licked her cheeks. A deep inhale through her nostrils left a fiery sensation inside them, her lungs crisp from the cold air, the smell of seaweed and salt filling her nasal with each intake.

Suddenly the huge footsteps of a Krogan greeted her ears, Tali fumbling to get her mask back on. It hissed into placed just as Wrex sat with a groan, his own huge feet dangling beside hers.

"Hey." She said to him. He nodded, eyes set on the view; the huge fingers of mountainous stone plucking at the blue sky and the ocean lapping against the coast below, foaming white froth seething around the jagged rock teeth.

"You did good Tali. It's a nice view, nice house. Glad to see you get it." He smiled. Tali nodded, chuckling.

"Seems crazy still, like a dream. _I_ have a _home_ on the _Home world_! I can't even say it without giggling like a child." Tali giggled, hands on her thighs, plucking at her cloth wraps. Wrex leaned back on his hands, head bobbing.

"Shepard's a good man."

"I know." She raised an eyebrow, practically hissing. Wrex peered at her, his lips closed over his teeth.

"He told me about what happened." He spoke, Tali nodding. "You're not...scared of him are you?" he asked, her eyes snapping at him.

"What? Of course not!" she snarled. Wrex simply stared her down. She sighed, slumping her shoulders. "I was...for a little while. It was scary to see."

"I know. I couldn't believe it when he told me. But once he told me all of it, I knew why he did it immediately."

"Oh?" she rolled her silver eyes.

"Hey, I'm old, not stupid." He chuckled. "He did it to save you. Never be scared of him. The only reason it came to that was because he was desperate to save _you_."

"But that? His own teeth..." she shuddered.

"What was he supposed to do? Shove and hope the guy didn't come back at him? Tali, he had to take this guy out there and then. Bam!" He slapped his fist to his hand with a clap. "Take them out in one motion, no matter how violent. If it saves the person you love...you do it, and this is coming from a Krogan who killed his own father." Wrex shrugged, chuckling weakly. Tali nodded, her feet swaying weightlessly off the edge.

"I know." she sighed, like a child being berated for stealing from the cookie jar.

"Well you can hear a fair bit from that Living room." Wrex smirked at her, her eyes snapping at him.

"Wha...how did you-"

"I'm not stupid Tali...I could smell you...plus...your shadow." He chuckled at her. She sighed, defeated again.

"Hearing him say all that, how he can't live without me...it's strange, I've never had anyone love me that much." she wrung her hands.

"Get used to it. He's crazy about you, always has been." Wrex pat her back, chuckling.

"Always?" she asked. Wrex nodded, scratching at his scars.

"Oh yeah. He talked to us on the first Normandy, sure, but he never came for story time or just to talk about random things. Never seen _anyone_ wear the elevator to engineering down like that." he chuckled. She nodded, smiling beneath her mask. The huge Krogan shifted beside her.

"Now _your_ problem...when's the big day?" Wrex looked at her. She sighed, hunching over.

"I...I don't know. He used to say how he "hates" the idea of Bonding...Marriage." She hissed, quoting the sentence with bobbing fingers.

"Why?" Wrex asked.

"All he says when I ask him about human bonding, is that it _never_ lasts. He never says why." She groaned, looking at her hands. "Forget it, it's stupid. He'd hate it, being bonded for life." Wrex leaned over to her audio receiver.

"Not if it's with you he won't." And that was all Wrex said, groaning as he got up, leaving those words to sink in like shrapnel from a shotgun. Tali sat there, pondering the words. Wrex pat her back and walked back to the house. Grunt and Shepard chatting, each sentence ending with a slap or punch to the arm. Tali nodded and got up too, turning on heel and running after Wrex.

"Thank you." She said to him in hushed tones.

"Ah, old Uncle Urdnot worries about you, kid." He chuckled, wrapping a huge arm around her shoulder and pulling her in, his other hand knuckling her head, ruffling her hood.

"Gee, thanks' for the noogie, Uncle." She groaned, standing up straight as he released her, straightening her hood as his laughter bellowed. She watched Shepard talking with them, each holding a beer bottle. He offered one to Wrex and then all clinked bottles. His smile, the happiness, she thought back to what Wrex said.

_Not if it's with you he won't._

He lived with her, built her a house, and shared himself with her. Why would he be opposed to making it official? She shrugged off the thoughts and saved them for another day. In a few hours Gerrel's trial will be held, she needed to be focused on that. She walked over to them.

"Hey Tal! Everything Okay?" he asked as Grunt slapped his back. She looked at Wrex who gave her a reassuring wink. The love in his voice, the way he smiled. He loved her and she loved him. She could always ask why he hates marriage later on.

"Everything's great! What're we talking about?" she asked, walking over to him as he draped an arm over her shoulder. They shared laughs and stories for the next few hours.

_But right now, right now I have this._

...

Gerrel shifted in his cell, glaring through the prism of cell bars. His teeth flared and his eyes burned white hot silver. His gloved palms balled up the sponged padding of the dry mattress. Today was the day, the day of his trial. The day the name Han'Gerrel Vas Neema becomes stripped from all records of Quarian history. He snarled and cricked his neck. Suddenly the loud echoing clank of the door sounded and he peered up. Two marines entered, one walking straight to Gerrel and grasping his upper arm, hauling him to his feet. He shook the man's grip off.

"I can walk to my own defeat, thank you very much." He held his head high and stepped forward and out of the cell, both Marines behind him. A nudge from the rifle barrel kept him walking at his pace.

He walked down the dank halls and into the elevator at the end of the row. The marines flanked either side of him as the metal doors slid shut with an aged groan. Gerrel sighed through pursed lips till his mask fogged up. His eyes darted back and forth, wondering, hoping the Admiral's would see sense. His stomach dropped as if he had a lunch of lead as the lift began to climb. He turned his head towards the nearest beige marine.

"So...where's the trial being held?" he dryly asked, rolling his shoulder blades. The marine barely tilted his head as he answered.

"Aboard the Rayya, we're taking a shuttle up there."

"I see. No way for me to escape aboard a ship in space, huh?" Gerrel scoffed, shaking his head. Silence dwarfed the small cube of metal for minutes. A throat cleared and broke the quiet.

"For the record sir, I've served under your command of the Heavy fleet for years and...I..." He looked at Gerrel. "I support you."

"Me too." The other marine chimed. Gerrel nodded his thanks, and for the first time stood tall and proud in front of his men. His hands held behind his back.

"Keelah Se'lai." Gerrel sighed under his breath. The doors ebbed open and sunlight blinded the Ex-Admiral. Once his vision adjusted, he laid eyes on the Kodiak resting upon the landing pad. Other Marines waited by the hull. He stepped out onto the pad as the winds hit him like a punch. He peered up to the faint rumbling turned full roar of a Geth Dreadnought overhead.

The side of the Kodiak opened and his heart froze solid as the huge Geth Prime, Kronos, stepped out. Suddenly the Geth raised a Carnifex and a loud bang echoed, Gerrel shuddering and jolting as a puncture tore through his chest. The Geth's trio of red eyes were emotionless and distant, head flaps lowered. The Marine's leaped onto the Prime, restraining him as the Geth wailed out in digital roars, trying to free his gun wielding arm.

Gerrel's vision blurred and black fingers plucked at the corners of his eyes. He staggered and the hot leaking running down his stomach made his leg fizzy and weak. He dropped to his knees with a thud and gasped in pain, clutching his chest with a free hand. Kronos dropped to his own knees, red eyes flaring at Gerrel.

"Destroyer! Destroyer of my people! You are no Creator!" Kronos roared as ten Marine's restrained the titan. Gerrel fell back with a flop and his breath became ragged. His vision began to blur just as his view of the Geth Dreadnought flying overhead filled his view. Marine's stood over him, each pulling out Medi-Gel and tools, finally losing consciousness to the ever present blackness.

...

* * *

**Author's notes: A very speech heavy chapter, but necessary. Xen's finally figured out what she needs to stabilize the V.I! Good old Wrex eh? Who better to talk to about pain and war than a Krogan! and uh oh, Gerrel's in trouble. See you all next time! Love you guys!**

**-Dave**


	12. Chapter 12: Malfunction or emotion?

**Author note: Been a while I know, but here it is guys! Enjoy and please review! Plot is a coming! **

* * *

_"Tali! Run! Get out of the h-"_

_..._

Wrex sat on the sofa for two, making it look like an armchair for one, the seats caving under his immense muscular weight. The huge Krogan reclined with a content sigh. As his red spherical eyes vanished beneath his leather lids, a dwarfing shadow basked over his body. One eye peeled open, the inner nictitating membrane sliding apart over his eye. The slice of black that made his sharp pupil constricted to the sight: A crossed arms Tali.

Her foot was tapping a rhythm into the wooden floorboards, the two fingers on her left hand drumming against her right upper arm. She inclined her head at him, mask barely concealing the silver slits.

"What? I'm getting old, I need my beauty sleep." he smirked at her airy laugh and shake of her head. A vibrating beep upstairs thrummed. Shepard darted up the stairs, hand grasping the banister.

"There're not enough hours in the day for your beauty sleep Wrex!" Shepard called as he vanished upstairs. Wrex cackled, grinning at Tali.

"See? That's what you should have said, you're getting squishy Tali." He guffawed at her balled fists by her wide hips. A slight twitch in one silver eye was all it took to let ice form over Wrex's mind.

"are you saying I've gotten fat?" She snarled at him. Wrex gulped.

"Uh oh, you've pissed off the Quarian." Grunt whispered from the other sofa, which he was also spread out over. She whipped her head round at him so fast her hood billowed. Grunt sunk his huge bulbous head into his boulder shoulders. Wrex snickered a laugh. Honestly, they were as bad as each other.

Tali huffed and dropped her defense. A slam sounded and she turned to see Grunt's feet on the coffee table.

"Ah! No! Feet...Down! I'll get my Shotgun!" She snapped, swatting his feet. The Krogan groaned and Wrex laughed at him. Tali felt the need to rub her brow, instead massaging the smooth glass of her mask.

Suddenly Shepard bolted back down the stairs, leaping the last two. His arms were struggling against the sleeve holes of his leather jacket, a look of shock and concern on his features.

"What? What's going on?" Tali called.

"Gerrel's been shot." Shepard said through ragged breaths, taking his Carnifex from the hallway table, along with a jingling set of Sky car keys. Wrex sat up sharply, Tali cupping her mask in shock.

"What?!" They both asked in unison, both high and low pitch tones mixing into something sounding almost Turian.

"Yeah, I need to get down there. Apparently they're taking him to hospital aboard the Rayya and Kronos is being held for questioning on the Neema." Shepard rubbed his rasping face. Tali nodded.

"Okay, well let's go-"

"No, not you. Tali, I need you to stay here, who knows how many other upset Geth are on the Neema. Wrex, you're coming with me." Shepard pointed Wrex to his Claymore lent against the wall.

"Wait, Kronos shot him?" Tali squeaked as Wrex snaked passed her. Shepard nodded with a grim eyebrow raise. Tali shook her head. "No, I-I'm coming to!"

"I need you to stay here. It's possible that Kronos has issued an assassination attempt on all Admirals. Raan's coming over in a few hours to take you up to the Rayya for safety." Shepard slipped by the huge red clad Krogan. He stood in front of Tali taking her hands. She peered from the two clasping palms at him, both their hearts beating at a terrifying rate, the organs punching through their ribs.

"I'll be fine," Shepard kissed her mask and cupped her metal cheeks, reeling back and letting his azure gaze fix on hers. It said _I love you_ in so many ways. He stepped away and looked at Grunt. "Grunt, stay with her!"

The huge silver armored Krogan leaped up from the chair, huge ice blue eyes blaring. "Wait, what?"

"Huh?" Tali cocked her head.

"We'll see you up on the Rayya, okay? Stay safe!" Shepard said as he and Wrex slipped out the front door.

"Wait, but-" The door slammed and silence filled the living room, Tali nervously shifting her gaze to the huge Krogan teen beside her. She shrugged and nervously chuckled. Grunt sighed and trudged off into the kitchen.

"Got any food?" He called in his deep growl. Tali sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Great. Babysit the Krogan." She sighed, slouching into the Kitchen. At least this would give her something to fixate on, instead of pry about Shepard's safety. It scared her how close the Geth and Quarians were to all out war again: An assassination attempt from the Ambassador for the Geth, others possibly hunting the Admirals. To know the Geth felt this emotional sting from the loss of so many, it made them seem not only real, but damn well alive.

"No! Put that down Grunt!"

SMASH!

"Oops."

...

Shepard sat in the driver's seat, whizzing over the baking desert. In the distant sky were huge black clouds, tumbling over mountains. The rocky fingers almost seemed to squeeze the flesh of the clouds and rinse out there contents of dusty red rain. Red flashes of lightning ripples across the continents of thunderous clouds. The black clouds set against the deep blue sky of noon making it an almost perfect division of light and dark.

Wrex pumped his Claymore as they lifted over the hills towards the row of Envoy ships landed across the desert strip. "So...Not exactly how I thought we'd spend our visit." Wrex scoffed.

"No it certainly wasn't." Shepard sighed, rubbing his brow with a free hand pried from the wheel. "I mean why? Why couldn't I just move to Rannoch with my wif-

"Your wife?" Wrex raised an incredulous eyebrow. Shepard stammered, cheeks heating.

"I meant Fiancé-damn!-no, _girlfriend_!" he hammered into the steering wheel. He calmed. "My...girlfriend." he sighed. Wrex snorted and shook his head.

"You two amaze me." He peered out at the passing world below as patters of brown rain streaked across the windscreen, the sky slowly clogging with the thick black fog. The windscreen wipers began to churn against the now hammering torrent of dirty desert water.

"Desert dust must have mixed with the rain. Hope you don't mind getting wet and dirty Wrex." Shepard chuckled dryly as they touched down upon the Neema's landing pad. Wrex smirked as he pried the door open and stepped out onto the flooded pad. The temperature was still humid and the warm rain splashed against the huge Krogan's crest, running off the brim of his brow, rivers of dirty water trickling down his scarred features.

Shepard stepped beside him, rain hammering into his shaven head and leather Jacket. His head had sunk down into his shoulders and eyes squinted. The sky car locked and Wrex guffawed.

"What's the matter Shepard? You mind getting wet?" He smirked as the Krogan lifted his shotgun. Shepard smiled and raised his Carnifex. They both stood side by side on the pad, the metal beneath them alive with thousands of ripples from the pounding rain, a dirty tinge to the water. They stepped forward to the ramp leading within the catacombs of the Neema's hull. Wrex pat Shepard's shoulder and he peered to what the Krogan saw.

He lowered his pistol along with his jaw at the sight: The wrecked and twisted hull of a Kodiak shuttle. Wrex whistled through his leathery pursed lips. His shotgun slung over his bulky shoulder.

"Whew...whoever did that has one mean swing." Wrex chuckled. Shepard hopped off the lip of the pad and with a thud, on top of the Neema's metal hull. Wrex slid down one of the girders that held the pad up, separate from the Neema's roof. Caught and wedged between the pad and the ship, was the Kodiak wreck.

"This was the ship that was going to take Gerrel up to the Rayya." Shepard rubbed his stubbly chin as he administered his vision to the crumpled hull. "Kronos did this?" he ran a hand along the crinkled plates and torn metal.

"Apparently so." Wrex said, nudging the wreck with his shotgun barrel. Shepard stood up as the rain pattered against his scalp, a thunderous bang erupting across the sky, along with a streak of red vein electricity etching across the monstrous maelstrom above.

"Come on, let's get inside. Things are looking worse than what you told me." Wrex mumbled, hauling up onto the pad. Shepard followed suit, both entering the ship and out of the torrential downpour. Wrex shook his head and bulky back, dousing Shepard in dirty water droplets.

"Thank you, Lassie." Shepard rolled his eyes, raising his pistol towards the darkened halls. Wrex smirked and also raised his weapon as they took off deeper into the ship. With his trusted Krogan brother beside him, he felt invincible.

"So...wife, huh?" Wrex grinned. Shepard sighed, peering at Wrex in the corner of his eye, his lips pressed to a thin line. "What?" The Krogan recoiled.

"Why go there?"

"Well one of us has to." Wrex grumbled. Shepard stopped walking, Wrex carrying on a few more steps until he turned. Shepard shook his head.

"You...You wanna know why, why I haven't asked her to marry me, to bond with me, whatever the fuck it is?!" Shepard growled a hiss through gritted teeth, scraping like porcelain. Wrex shrugged. "Because I am scared Wrex!" Shepard huffed, strings of saliva billowing like vines in his breath.

"Why." Wrex snarled. Shepard set his azure gaze on the Krogan, a dry laugh emitting.

"Why, you're asking me why?"

"Yes, why?! Why not go for it, you've got a house together, a future, everything, so why not!"

"BECAUSE IT NEVER LASTS!" Shepard roared till his throat was dry, lips wet and teeth cold with each hissing breath. Silence echoed after Shepard's roar and his chest heaved. Wrex dropped his shotgun to his side and huffed, peering at Shepard with concern. "It...It never lasts." He calmed to a whisper, resting against the wall till his fizzing legs pulled his body down. He pressed his wrists onto his bent knees and sighed. Wrex knelt beside him, huge red crest covered in battle scars.

"What makes you think that?" Wrex softly spoke. Shepard scoffed and rubbed his face with a free hand. Shepard's mouth opened and closed several times; trying to utter the words he needed to form the sentence.

"I...I remember when I was a kid, my Mom and Dad...they'd fight a lot. I mean, Dad worked in the lumber yards, and Mom...an Admiral in the Alliance fleet; Big difference there huh?" Shepard scoffed, a hand running over his scalp, feeling the bumps of his dry scars. Wrex nodded to himself, his shotgun used as a cane in the knelt position.

"All they'd do is fight. Fight about how they never see one another, about how work takes over, I mean they'd spend their time together fighting about it!" He chuckled dryly, his pistol clattering against the metal floor. Both his hands cupped his face and he groaned loudly.

"I love Tali...so, so much. I don't want us to fall down that path...to just, fight whenever we're together." He looked up at Wrex. "I don't want to end up divorced or something...to become enemies with the woman I loved-love..." He sighed. Wrex chuckled weakly, shaking his massive head.

"Shepard, she is crazy about you. Wanna know a secret?" Wrex tilted his head. Shepard raised an eyebrow. "She _wants_ to get married! You two are different. I've been around for seven hundred years..."

"Oh here we go." Shepard rolled his eyes.

"No, hear me out. I've been around for seven hundred years, I've had friends come and go, but none like you, or the Normandy crew. I've met couples before. And none have been like you and Tali. If anyone in this Galaxy is meant to be, it's you...and her." He prodded Shepard's chest. "She loves you, you love her. What's not to get? Man up, and give her a damn ring." Wrex growled, Shepard scoffing as he airily laughed to himself, finding the floor very interesting.

"Hey..." Wrex lifted Shepard's chin, a grin on his leathery features. "Keep ya chin up. Tell her about all this when you two get a sec." He flicked Shepard's head, making the Commander growl. "But right now, we've got a pissed off Geth to find." Wrex groaned as he stood up. Shepard's followed suit, standing from the floor.

"Thanks Wrex. Who would have thought I'd be getting all my relationship advice from an aging Krogan." He smirked. Wrex guffawed and lifted his shotgun. Shepard picked up his Carnifex and aimed down the hall sharply at a loud bang.

"Gunfire?" Wrex asked with a raised ridge. Shepard tilted his head, inkling to the latter.

"Probably. Come on, let's hurry." Shepard ran, Wrex beside him.

...

Tali sat on the sofa, groaning to herself , her head propped on one hand, the other holding a glass of Dextro wine, straw swirling in the red liquid. Her legs were pulled up under her rear on the leather chair, staring across the lounge in silence at the huge Krogan on the other sofa. Grunt coughed quietly into his fist, still sounding incredibly loud throughout the silent house. The clock ticked in the corner, the hands plucking mechanically.

Grunt fiddled with his hands upon his huge lap. He peered up at Tali, nervously grinning his teeth. Tali sighed and peered over at the front door, hoping Shepard would return home soon. She grumbled Keelish slurs under her silver tongue and peered back at Grunt, who was busy flicking the lamp on and off. Flash of amber, then dark, another flash. On and off, on and off, the cycle continued.

"Can you _please_...?" Tali raised her voice accidentally, Grunt peering at her with wide eyes. She soothed her senses. "Please...stop that." She forced a smile behind the mask. Grunt huffed and turned the lamp off, then on again. Tali growled and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Grunt followed suit, the leather of the chair plumping back up from under his immense weight.

She leaned against the counter and opened a cupboard. Grunt was curious as he watched her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow plate. She ignored him, huffing as she pulled out a box of Shepard's cookies. She put them on the counter and slid them along the marble towards the Krogan youngster. His ice blue eyes illuminated, a drool sliding over his bottom lip.

"If this keeps you quiet, knock yourself out, Grunt." She shrugged, sipping a long gulp of her wine. Grunt opened the box apprehensively, eyes set on her.

"Wait, this is a trick, isn't it? My Battlemaster will be angry at me." He put the box down. Tali shook her head at his loyalty to Shepard. When he was healing after the Citadel explosion, Grunt stayed in the hospital by his side for days on end, shotgun in his lap always by Shepard's bed. Tali had to basically push the Krogan youngster out to get some time alone with her bond mate.

"He won't mind Grunt, honest." Tali smiled. Grunt nodded and opened the box, taking a handful of cookies. He wasn't hard to persuade. Tali gulped back some more wine, the burn in her throat turning to a warming sensation in her stomach. Grunt munched on the cookies and watched Tali's every move.

"So...um...err..." Grunt gulps, rubbing the back of his head, crumbs freckling his head. Tali raised an eyebrow. "How's...err...How's the...Immune system?" Grunt asked, clearing his throat. Tali groaned, hand rubbing her visor.

...

Shepard rounded the corner, following the path of destruction. Indented fists in the aluminium frames, girders bent and twisted like straws. Yet the silence was harrowing, bar the static sounding monotonous call of the distant rain.

A wall of consoles beckoned his attention, and he approached with Wrex to his side. He scratches his chin and flicks up the holographic display.

"Maybe there's some kind of security footage we can watch." Shepard shrugged. He scrolled down the page, but something in the list of numbers and letters gained his eye.

_Vid message Rael: Password protected._

Shepard's interest peaked, and he clicked the file, a red flare of warning emitting. He looked at the password block of five empty letter boxes. The question above was all Shepard needed to answer this riddle:_ Where you began._

Shepard rubbed his chin and entered his own thesis. He typed "_Space"_ with a shudder at the memories of his life aboard Alliance Dreadnoughts with his Admiral of a mother, away from his father forever more.

The code blared red and emptied the boxes of the letters, a warning of '_You have 1 more attempt left.'_

He slapped himself mentally._ Of course it wasn't for you, it's for a Quarian._

Shepard thought hard, scrubbing his face with both rasping hands. Wrex peered at the Commander with a raised ridge. Finally Shepard lifted his eyes and knew the answer.

_It's for __**my**__ Quarian..._

Shepard entered the letters one by one: R-A-Y-Y-A and hit enter. It flashed green and the video unlocked for him. The message began to play after a short moment of buffering. A Male Quarian's masked face leaned towards the camera, glaring intently. He reeled back in his seat and cleared his throat, staring at the camera softly. Shepard knew this man, he'd seen his body, he'd comforted his daughter...it was Rael'Zorah Vas Alarei, his dark blue fogged mask on beige gold armor and red cloth wraps.

"_If you are watching this, then I guess I'm too late, as always."_ He weakly chuckled, a single bob of his shoulders.

From what Shepard could see, the background behind him was a Quarian Envoy ship's interior: dark metal walls, a huge sealed door and many Geth parts and Quarian tools laced across a desk behind him.

"_Truth is, I was always late. Late for your birthdays, for your achievements...for you Pilgrimage graduation. I know a man's last message to his daughter can't repair a lifetime of bad parenting, but I have to tell you all I can in these short, brief moments, Tali."_ Rael paused and huffed, peering down at his palms. He snapped his eyes back up at the camera. Shepard and Wrex watched intently.

"This...This was meant for Tali." Shepard breathed, Wrex nodding.

"Who is that?" Wrex asked. Shepard scoffed, shaking his head gently.

"It's her father."

"_I was a poor father. I neglected you, ran tests on you..." _He croaked and shook his shoulders; obvious even with a mask on that he was close to tears. _"W-When you were only a child; you came to me, Raan, about Nightmares of Geth attacks in your sleep..." _Rael looked at the camera with sorrowful eyes. _"One of my tests was of a V.I that could control the Geth. It was in its infancy, weak and feeble, but I had to test it, to see if an Organic mind could control it, could stabilize it..."_

Shepard listened with horror. Rael designed Project Overlord, not Cerberus. His entire world inverted. Everything was a lie. It explained how advanced the V.I was and how it could control Geth units: A Quarian designed it. Rael sniffled as he watched the Camera lens.

"_I tested a V.I on my own Daughter!" _Rael hissed, cupping his mask. _"Who does that? Certainly not a good father. I know I won't be missed, and in the possibility that you are still watching, I am sorry I failed you my baby girl."_ He sighed, rubbing his masked brow. _"My project must not see the light of day. Xen is trying to use it, for war mongering dreams, for slavery, for mass Genocide. She wants to use the Geth as an army, not an ally, not an enemy, but as a slave. It's the reason we're in this mess. Such power in her hands is something I cannot allow."_

Shepard leaned forward and watched the video play on.

"_I have had to fake my own demise to see to it that this V.I never sees the light of day. Cerberus are pining for me now, they want this damned project. All I ever wanted was to give you a house on the Homeworld. Now I can't even do that."_ He sighed, massaging his helmet temple.

Shepard reeled in horror. The man they found dead was not her father; it was a decoy, a sick decoy. While it was the cruelest of ways to leave his daughter and old life behind, it did mean that he was free to leave the Flotilla and make sure that the V.I was destroyed and out of not only Cerberus hands, but Xen's.

"_I know that asking for the forgiveness of someone I've neglected their whole life is unreasonable and impossible. I'm sorry Tali, my little Tali, for so many things. Raan tells me you feel like you can't live up to my standards..."_ Rael stared softly at the camera, his silver eyes glimmering with wet tears.

"_You have __**never **__let me down, __**never**__. Never change yourself to please me...You've already done that. You've already made me so, so proud Tali."_ He croaked, sniffling. The door opened behind him and white armor clad human soldiers entered, Mattock rifles trained on him. One of the soldiers enters, standing over Rael, a Cerberus insignia on his pectoral.

"_The Illusive man wants what you have. Where is Project Overlord?"_

"_You will never have it."_ Rael snarled. The man punched a white knuckled fist across Rael's mask, cracking his visor.

"_Give us the pass code for this computer, give us the Project!"_ The man roared, static buzzing over the volume. Rael stared up from his seat, straight at the camera lens, straight into the eyes of the viewer. He sighed heavily, dropping his head. Shepard saw him click a seat belt across his torso, turning to face the monitor.

"_The pass code is Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya."_ He muttered. Suddenly, as if gravity inverted, all the Cerberus soldiers lifted off the floor and slammed into the ceiling, the bellowing whine of a dying drive core screaming behind Rael. It didn't take an Engineer to know that Rael had a voice activated fail-safe on the ship, to crash it.

"_I know you will achieve wonders Tali! I know you will!"_ Rael shouted over the scream of turbines and Cerberus soldiers clambering behind him. One of the soldiers latched his hand onto Rael's seat, pressing frantically at the keypad on Rael's computer. _"A house is merely bricks and mortar! A home is flesh and blood! Whoever you choose a home with, a path with, I will be proud no matter what!"_

"_Remember...Behind the Veil, lies the key!" _Rael spoke proudly, even though his ship was plummeting into a planet below, evident as a massive segment of the ship tore away behind his seat, a flash of blue sky and light flooding the area behind him. Cerberus operatives screamed as they were sucked away from the ship, torn clean from its disintegrating hull. His lab dissolved behind his seat, yet he kept his eyes trained on the camera lens.

"_Know this Tali...You are, and always will be...my greatest creation."_ Rael said with a tearful smile, his eyes being crescent moons behind the web of cracks on his mask. Finally the video ended with a bang and cut to static.

Shepard was awe struck, jaw like rubber, hanging loosely. Rael had deceived them all, but to save not only his daughter, but the entire Quarian race, maybe a part of him even wanted to save the Geth. But something dawns on him, a harrowing realization:

Now Xen has the Overlord data. But, she hasn't done anything horrible or twisted with it. She hasn't killed or tested on any Geth, and she certainly did not detonate the bomb.

Rael had designed the V.I, had perfected it by the sounds of it. So why did it devour David Archer? Sabotaged it in case Cerberus _did_ get a hold of it, to stop them completing it to his level? Possible.

Shepard's thoughts quickly lingered to Tali. She knows nothing of this, and she needs to know. She needs to understand that her father's last words to her weren't in fact orders; they were kind dying words as his ship plummeted to its grave, all to stop Cerberus from obtaining Overlord.

But they did obtain it, which means they knew where his ship crashed. Shepard shakes his head and removed the drives from the computer, shoving them in his coat pocket.

"Tali _needs _to see this." Shepard nodded, Wrex agreeing completely. They turned to walk away, having learned a harrowing truth. Back to the present, Shepard raised his pistol at some clattering down the hall. They still needed to find Kronos, a Geth struggling to control the sudden data load of emotions.

...

Wrex pressed his hump against the wall, the splintered door frame to his right. Shepard pressed his back to the other side, nodding to Wrex. Clattering filled the dark room and sheets of broken metal covered the floor, the mechanism of the door still whirring in an attempt to open the nonexistent door.

Wrex tilted his crest to the door and Shepard stepped in, pistol raised. The iron sight scanned the room for any movement. Shepard's heart thumped and he turned to the corner where he found the being in question. He tapped Wrex's shoulder and pointed to the silhouette slumped in the corner.

The Geth Prime, Kronos, sat against the wall, synthetic palms covered in Quarian blood. His red optics glimmered and he peered up at Shepard.

"Geth...are new...to this...I...I..." the trio of red eyes tilted to the corner with a synthetic whir. Shepard looked over and he saw the mutilated corpses of Quarian Marines. Shepard covered his mouth with his sleeve and gagged. Wrex slumped his shoulders and mouthed an "oh shit" shaking his scalp, seeing the snapped bones, cracked masks, piecing wounds, blood leaking over the floor.

He turned on heel and looked at the sat Geth Prime. To his surprise, Kronos was still stuttering, digital clicks whirring behind each mumble.

"It was an accident...I...I felt something...something new...unknown. When we were young, we wished to feel Organic...to feel emotions...but now..." Kronos peered up at Shepard, head flaps reared. "There are _so_ many! What do I feel?"

"Guilt?" Shepard stuttered, looking at the dead Marines. Wrex paced behind Shepard, his teeth gritted. Kronos's optics flickered around in thought.

"N...No."

"Upset?"

"No."

"Then what, what do you feel Kronos?" Shepard spat. The red optics set on Shepard's cold as steel.

"I feel...like I failed." Kronos spoke. Shepard reeled back. The tone in his electronic voice was so real, so organic. He had never heard a Geth say "Like" before; it was unnerving, especially from a Geth who just slaughtered Quarians to get to Gerrel.

Shepard suddenly became aware of something. "Where's Han'Gerrel?" Shepard asked, pistol aimed. Kronos snapped his optics on Shepard. His head flaps lowered into a furrowed brow.

"Destroyer Gerrel, guilty of crimes against _my_ people?!"

"We don't know that!" Shepard roared. Kronos stood up, taller than he.

"We? Do not be naive Shepard-Commander!" Kronos blared his digital roar. Wrex stood on edge, shotgun aimed at Kronos.

"He'll be put on trial, we'll find out if he's guilty-

"Put on trial by his own kind, for crimes against another? Do you not see the flaw in this ideology Shepard-Commander?" Kronos stepped forward, huge feet thumping.

"What are you-

"You are allowing his own people to decide his fate, when it should be up to the Geth! We were hurt; we should choose his punishment...his fate." Kronos clenched his bloodied fists. Shepard gulped and took a tentative step back, pistol still trained on the angered Prime. Kronos shook his head.

"You're struggling to understand and control all these new emotions. It must be scary, right?" Shepard tried to calm the flaring Geth Prime.

"Legion once spoke of you in the highest of regards, as a hero, a god...a legend. But now? It is evident that you chose peace with us to save not only your own kind, but the Creators, not the Geth!"

"No, that isn't tr-

"We were a tool, a tool _you_ used to fight the Old machines!" Kronos stopped, flaps raised in sudden realization. "...and now that our usefulness, our functionality to your cause has expired, you wish to destroy us..." Kronos flared his three optics at Shepard. "I am new to these feelings, but I will learn to control them...to understand them."

Shepard looked at Wrex, eyes full of concern.

"We are not going to kill you Kronos, okay? Just calm down, and try to..." Shepard wanted to say 'take a deep breath', but Geth could not breathe. "...Try to take all these emotions and calm them, yeah?" Shepard's plead fell on deaf ears.

"The Geth will not die this day, or any day. Peace with the Creators, is over!" Kronos lunged at Shepard, tackling him and smashing through the wall in an explosion of concrete and metal. Wrex unloaded shells into Kronos's side, merely denting him.

In the floor below, Shepard crashed through the ceiling, his back thumping into the metal, rolling away from the kneeling Geth Prime. His diaphragm begging him to inhale some air, but his lungs kept emptying their already dry innards.

Finally he gasped a long inhale and sat up, looking at the Geth Prime across the room. Kronos lunged forward, slamming Shepard into the ground. He grappled Shepard's soft fleshy throat in his tough metal hand, his other holding Shepard's tensed arm.

Metal groaned within Kronos and Shepard gritted his teeth, muscles on fire with lactic burn.

"I_ will_ kill Gerrel."Kronos snarled, tightening his grip. "You stopped me once, you _won't_ stop me again." Kronos roared, Shepard gritting his teeth to keep his sharp metal fingers from his chest. His pectorals heaved and his biceps burned.

"I'm getting stronger everyday!" Kronos roared as he sunk the finger tips into Shepard's chest. "We will survive."

"Stop this Kronos-Argh-Stop, I don't want...to hurt your people!" Shepard growled as Kronos sunk his fingers deeper into his muscles.

"Lies, an Organic trait!"

Shepard felt the power of his synthetic implants beginning to whir to life. He roared and tried to push the forearm of the Geth titan from his chest. Images of Tali flashed through his mind.

"After Gerrel, all Creators will answer for their crimes against the Geth!" Kronos roared. Shepard flared his eyes and his arms tightened and bulged as the muscles worked harder and harder, veins pumping faster and thicker.

Kronos's fingers began to slide out of his chest muscle, Shepard's arm trembling under the weight of the immense Geth Prime. The red optics inches from his face widened in surprise.

"You won't hurt anyone!" Shepard snarled pulling his arm up and away. Suddenly a loud gunshot rang out and Kronos wailed, head arching back. The Geth Prime sat up off of Shepard to address the new threat and another gunshot rang out, blowing Kronos's head apart. The Prime fell back with a thud beside Shepard, oozing hydraulic fluid running down his metal spine. Shepard sighed with a mix of relief and despair.

On one hand, he'd stopped the threat, but on the other, he'd destroyed the emotion conflicted Geth ambassador. He sat up and pressed a palm over his wound, gritting his teeth at the agony.

"Thanks Wre..." Shepard never finished the word when he saw the shooter. Gerrel stood before him, Carnifex in hand and a thick blood clotted bandage tied around his torso. His mask was cracked and his shawl torn.

"Shepard..." He groaned as Wrex ran over from behind, out of breath. Shepard stood up on weak jingly legs.

"So...Gerrel...Now what..." Shepard breathed heavily. They all looked at the lifeless Prime corpse.

"Kronos isn't dead Shepard; he'll have sent his data load back to the Consensus." Gerrel walked past Shepard and stood over the Prime's body. "No, this is just the start of this madness."

"He's not evil, just struggling. Imagine it, getting all those new emotions all at once? Suddenly being alive? Crazy." Shepard sighed. Gerrel nodded, tapping his boot against the Geth Prime corpse.

"Why'd you do it? The bomb?" Shepard gritted his teeth. Gerrel sighed and turned, facing him.

"I didn't. Xen did. I'm innocent Shepard."

"You blew up a Dreadnought I was on!" He snarled.

"During the war to save our world, do you think I don't regret doing that to my niece, my best friend's daughter aboard? I lay awake far too often contemplating all my decisions. I did what I had to do at the time, but I'd never do something like this, especially in peace time."

"How can I believe you?" Shepard scoffed. Gerrel turned to the Marine corpses and took one look then turned back.

"Gak'Noorel, Qet'Sevet, Kol'Neegan and Fiv'Tervous. All good men with families, all good men that served under me. I take one look and I know them. I don't take pleasure in war Shepard; I hate my job, what actions it makes me take. So many looking at you to act, then judge you for those actions no matter the outcome." Gerrel sighed, Shepard looking down from him. Gerrel stepped closer, fists clenched.

"You don't think that it's seared into my brain, every decision I've ever made? That I don't regret? Well, I do Shepard...I regret a lot. But I will never regret what I did during the war; because in the long run it worked...it got us our home world back."

"Whatever good that is now. We've got a conflicted Geth on the loose looking to kill you, and this one's the Ambassador for the Geth!" Shepard snapped. Gerrel sighed, rubbing his mask brow. Shepard huffed and peered down at Gerrel's wound.

"We need to get you up to the Rayya for your trial, they'll heal you there." Shepard said, gesturing to the doorway.

"What's the point? Everyone's already made up their minds." Gerrel sighed, looking at the floor with a defeated slump. Shepard looked at Wrex and the Krogan just shrugged, helpfully.

"Look Gerrel, if you don't attend the trial, it's gonna look a lot worse." Shepard said to him. Gerrel scoffed and looked back at the floor. It was at this precise moment, that Shepard felt a pang. A pang that maybe Gerrel was innocent. He did whatever it took to free Rannoch during the war. What would this man gain from attacking the Geth during peace time? He suddenly pieced together how odd and out of character it sounded. He didn't know Gerrel well, but damn it all he knew how loyal he was to the Quarian people.

"Gerrel..." Shepard said, making him look up. "I believe you."


End file.
